vivo X80 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance

The vivo X80 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G represent distinct approaches to the premium smartphone market. The X80, powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000, aims to deliver flagship performance at a more competitive price. The S22 Ultra, with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW) or Exynos 2200 (Europe) chipset and integrated S Pen, targets users seeking a complete, feature-rich ecosystem. This comparison dissects their key differences to help you choose the right device.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For most users, the vivo X80 offers a compelling blend of performance and value. Its Dimensity 9000 chipset delivers comparable power to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, coupled with significantly faster 80W charging. While the S22 Ultra boasts a superior display and more versatile camera system, its higher price and potential thermal throttling make the X80 the smarter buy for performance-focused users.

PHONES
Phone Names vivo X80 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - InternationalHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 - International, China1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - China1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, April 252022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, April 29Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front, glass back or eco leather backGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions165 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm or 8.8 mm163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight203 g / 206 g (7.16 oz)228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)
Display
Protection-Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 120Hz, HDR, 1500 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetMediatek Dimensity 9000 (4 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUMali-G710 MC10Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 12, upgradable to Android 14, Funtouch 14 (Global), OriginOS Ocean (China)Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 UFS 3.1UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, Pixel Shift, dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad-108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm-
Triple50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.0, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, AF-
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/192kHz audio32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.2, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavICGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 -Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging80W wired, 50% in 11 min Reverse wired45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Type4500 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsCosmic Black, Urban Blue, OrangePhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple
ModelsV2183A, V2144SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS
PriceAbout 560 EUR€ 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899
SAR-1.18 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.05 W/kg (head)     1.58 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life-Endurance rating 108h
Camera-Photo / Video
Display-Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker--27.3 LUFS (Good)
Performance-AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

vivo X80

  • Significantly faster 80W charging
  • Potentially better thermal management with Dimensity 9000
  • More competitive price point

  • Less versatile camera system
  • Display likely not as bright or feature-rich as S22 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Superior display brightness and quality
  • More versatile camera system with advanced zoom
  • Integrated S Pen functionality

  • Potential for thermal throttling with Exynos 2200
  • Slower 45W charging
  • Higher price

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display is a clear standout, achieving a measured peak brightness of 1266 nits. This significantly surpasses what we’d expect from the X80, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the X80’s display specs aren’t provided, Samsung’s panel benefits from an infinite contrast ratio and likely utilizes LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, conserving battery life. The S22 Ultra’s larger screen size also contributes to a more immersive viewing experience, making it ideal for media consumption.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system is more comprehensively equipped, offering a wider range of focal lengths and features. While both phones are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, the S22 Ultra’s larger sensors and advanced image processing algorithms provide superior image quality, particularly in low-light conditions and with its impressive zoom capabilities. The X80 likely focuses on delivering strong performance with its primary sensor, but lacks the versatility of the S22 Ultra’s multi-camera setup. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the S22 Ultra is largely a marketing gimmick and offers minimal practical benefit.

Performance

Both phones utilize a 4nm process, but the chipset choice dictates performance characteristics. The vivo X80’s MediaTek Dimensity 9000 features a Cortex-X2 prime core clocked at 3.05 GHz, slightly higher than the S22 Ultra’s 2.8 GHz (or 3.0 GHz in ROW variants) Cortex-X2. However, the S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 (Europe) has faced criticism for thermal throttling under sustained load, potentially limiting its peak performance. The Dimensity 9000 is generally regarded as more thermally efficient. Both devices employ the same Cortex-A710 and A510 cores, meaning multi-core performance will be relatively close, but the X80’s superior thermal management could give it an edge in demanding tasks like prolonged gaming.

Battery Life

Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 108 hours, suggesting similar overall battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the X80). However, the vivo X80’s 80W wired charging is a game-changer, capable of charging 50% in just 11 minutes. The S22 Ultra’s 45W charging, while supporting PD3.0, is significantly slower. The X80 also offers reverse wired charging, a feature the S22 Ultra only provides wirelessly at a much slower 4.5W. This makes the X80 far more convenient for topping up accessories or other devices.

Buying Guide

Buy the vivo X80 if you prioritize raw performance, incredibly fast charging, and a more streamlined software experience. It’s ideal for gamers and power users who want a flagship experience without the premium price tag. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you value a larger, brighter display, a more comprehensive camera system with advanced zoom capabilities, and the added functionality of the S Pen. It’s the better choice for creative professionals and users deeply embedded in the Samsung ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2200 chip in the European S22 Ultra overheat during extended gaming sessions?
Yes, the Exynos 2200 variant of the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been reported to experience thermal throttling under sustained load, leading to reduced performance during prolonged gaming. The Dimensity 9000 in the vivo X80 is generally considered more thermally efficient, potentially offering a smoother gaming experience.
❓ Is the 80W charging on the vivo X80 compatible with all USB-PD chargers?
While the vivo X80 supports USB-PD, achieving the full 80W charging speed requires a compatible charger that specifically supports vivo’s FlashCharge protocol. Using a standard USB-PD charger will still charge the device, but at a slower rate.
❓ How does the image processing differ between the vivo X80 and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra?
Samsung’s image processing tends to produce more vibrant and saturated images, while vivo generally aims for a more natural and realistic look. The S22 Ultra also offers more advanced computational photography features, such as improved night mode and portrait effects.
❓ Is the S Pen on the Galaxy S22 Ultra useful for everyday tasks beyond note-taking?
Absolutely. The S Pen offers a wide range of functionalities, including air gestures for remote control, screen-off memo, and precise editing capabilities. It's particularly useful for creative professionals and users who frequently annotate documents or sketches.