ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: A Clash of Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra wins overall due to its superior display, refined software, and more versatile camera system. However, the Axon 40 Ultra offers incredible value with its competitive specs and impressive battery life, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE Axon 40 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - Europe | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41 - Europe | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 28, 38, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA - Europe | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, May 09 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, May 13 | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.3 x 73.6 x 8.4 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.33 in) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 204 g (7.20 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+ |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~92.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 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 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13, MyOS 13 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Laser 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 |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | - |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.6, 35mm (standard), 1/1.7", PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 91mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom (vs. 26mm cam) 64 MP, f/2.4, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/1.7", PDAF | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10‑bit video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.22µm, under display | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 65W wired, PD3.0, QC4 | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Gold, Silver | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | A2023P, A2023PG | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 380 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 104h | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
- Excellent value for money
- Impressive camera performance
- Fast 65W charging
- Long battery life
- Stunning design
- Software experience could be improved
- Less versatile camera system compared to S22 Ultra
- Lower display brightness than S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Brilliant display with high brightness and contrast
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Refined software experience
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Premium build quality
- Higher price point
- Slower charging speed compared to Axon 40 Ultra
- Exynos variant may have slightly lower performance
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display (1266 nits vs 680 nits), offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. Its 'Infinite' contrast ratio provides deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. While the Axon 40 Ultra's display is good, the S22 Ultra's is undeniably superior in terms of brightness and color accuracy. The S22 Ultra also features a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for smoother scrolling.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's camera system is more versatile, featuring a 108MP main sensor, ultrawide, and dual telephoto lenses offering impressive zoom capabilities. The Axon 40 Ultra's camera is no slouch, with a 64MP main sensor and impressive image quality, but lacks the zoom range and overall versatility of the S22 Ultra. Video recording is excellent on both, but the S22 Ultra offers more advanced features.
Performance
Both phones are powered by high-end chipsets. The Axon 40 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while the S22 Ultra utilizes either the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 depending on the region. Performance is generally comparable in everyday tasks, but the S22 Ultra's optimized software and potentially better thermal management might give it a slight edge in sustained heavy workloads. Gaming performance is excellent on both.
Battery Life
Both phones offer excellent battery life, with endurance ratings of 104h and 108h respectively. The S22 Ultra has a slight edge in real-world usage. The Axon 40 Ultra's 65W wired charging is faster than the S22 Ultra's 45W, while the S22 Ultra offers wireless and reverse wireless charging capabilities.
Buying Guide
The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is ideal for users seeking flagship-level performance and a stunning camera at a more affordable price. It's a great choice for those who prioritize battery life and don't mind a less polished software experience. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is perfect for users who demand the best of everything: a brilliant display, top-tier camera capabilities, and a seamless, feature-rich software experience, even if it comes at a premium.