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MagyarSamsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comparison: Snapdragon 8 Gen. 1 vs. Exynos 2200 - is Europe being cheated?
In our review, we were only partially impressed by the current flagship smartphone from Samsung. The Galaxy phone turned out to be a very successful package overall, but it still had a few teething troubles.
In particular, Samsung's policy surrounding the processor raised some questions. The Exynos SoC, intended for the European market, was eagerly awaited, not least because of the cooperation with AMD. Unfortunately, this did not fully live up to our expectations in our aforementioned review, which is reason enough for us to take a look at the version of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen.1 that is available outside Europe in retailers such as our rental partner Trading Shenzhen, among others.
Those looking for detailed information apart from the SoC, such as the individual sections of case, software or communication, should take a look at our detailed review of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display is also more or less identical. We measured a minimally low brightness on the Snapdragon version, which could be explained by a slight quality fluctuation in production.
Cameras: Samsung smartphones with 108 MP
The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in the Snapdragon version and the local Exynos variant are almost identical in terms of camera hardware - the technical data can be found in our detailed review. Interestingly, the Galaxy smartphone and its Qualcomm chipset support the slightly higher camera2 API level with level 3.
In everyday use, the Snapdragon version of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, like the Exynos version, delivers good to very good results in daylight with 108 MP optics and Samsung ISOCELL HM3.
We like the results of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Snapdragon a little better overall, as the dynamic range is somewhat higher in difficult lighting conditions and the subjects are less blurred. However, this increase in sharpness does not result in a higher level of detail, and we detected slight image noise in dark areas. If subjects are photographed in the dark, the observed tendencies intensify. The Snapdragon version has significantly more noise, but the sharpness and dynamics are better than with the Exynos version.
Wide angle
The ultra-wide-angle camera of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in the Snapdragon version is similarly tuned to the 108 MP cam. Colors are slightly brightened compared to the Exynos version, but the pictures produce a larger dynamic range and a little more image noise.
In our zoom ranges of 3x and 10x, we like the pictures of the Exynos version better. Especially at a magnification of 3x, the sharpness is more appealing than in the Snapdragon version of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Ultra-wide-angle
Zoom shots (3x, 10x)
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Performance: Qualcomm SoC of the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes out on top
The everyday performance of both Galaxy models is very good, and the Exynos 2200 used in Europe is powerful enough to drive the 120 Hz capable and high-resolution OLED panel smoothly. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is much more powerful in our benchmark measurements, but it should also be noted that we were also provided with the 12GB RAM version for testing.
In both the CPU tests and the graphics benchmarks, the Qualcomm SoC sometimes outperforms the Exynos 2200 by 30 percent. The differences are also unexpectedly clear in the browser tests, where the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 performs very well. In the offscreen values of the GFXBench, on the other hand, the Qualcomm SoC does not perform as well. Here, the Galaxy S22 Ultra Snapdragon is significantly slower than the Exynos version.
The differences in the speed of UFS 3.1 are equally surprising. Whether these differences are even noticeable in everyday use is certainly debatable - we find the loading times for apps to be similarly fast - but the benchmark values of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 are quite impressive, particularly in sequential reading.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (121.9 - 237, n=11) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (60 - 121, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=167, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (141 - 265, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12 - 375, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -9% | -5% | -2% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1987.91 | 1653 -17% | 1759 ? -12% | 1815 ? -9% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 1368.55 | 1074 -22% | 1161 ? -15% | 1405 ? 3% |
| Random Read 4KB | 314.68 | 322.3 2% | 286 ? -9% | 272 ? -14% |
| Random Write 4KB | 268.9 | 273.1 2% | 317 ? 18% | 301 ? 12% |
Gaming: Galaxy smartphones still have room for improvement
Both versions of the Galaxy S22 Ultra offer a smooth display free of issues. As can been in the measurements with the GameBench app, our test games do not reveal any frame drops worth mentioning. However, PUBG Mobile can be played with a significantly higher frame rate with the Qualcomm variant.
The shooter runs at up to 60 fps on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Moreover the UHD option is unlocked, which is not available on the Galaxy S22 Ultra with Xclipse 920. In League of Legends: Wild Rift, the high-frame settings of 90 fps and 120 fps are not selectable on either Galaxy smartphone, so that the Adreno 730 also only performs at 60 fps.
Emissions and Battery Life: Galaxy phones on par
The surface temperatures and power consumption levels are similar for both versions of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. To better assess the performance of the SoCs, we used the 3DMark Stress Test. Like other smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the Galaxy S22 Ultra reveals a significant performance loss of about 40 percent. Then again, the Exynos 2200 also displays inefficient cooling.
In contrast, the battery runtimes under QHD Plus resolution and adaptive display control were longer than expected. In our real-world Wi-Fi test with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m², the Galaxy S22 Ultra and its Qualcomm SoC only lasted about 12.5 hours. In our test of the Exynos version, this was over 14 hours.
| 3DMark - Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G | |
Temperature
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.1 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.2 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.9 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Power Consumption
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 5000 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||
| WiFi Websurfing | 756 | 844 12% | 969 ? 28% |
Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Snapdragon
Has Samsung cheated us in Europe with its own Exynos 2200? In terms of pure performance and gaming suitability, this claim can be supported. In terms of efficiency, however, both model variants of the Galaxy S22 Ultra perform on a similar level. Things will get really interesting in the next generation as future Qualcomm SoCs will no longer be manufactured by Samsung itself, but once again by Taiwan's chip manufacturer TSMC.
Quality differences are also apparent in the cameras, although the Snapdragon version is not the clear winner here. Those who like to use high focal lengths with their Galaxy smartphone can be happy about the Exynos 2200, as the image sharpness is higher than in our review device with the Qualcomm SoC. The lower image noise also indicates a more effective noise suppression of the image processor from Samsung. In return, the ISP (image signal processor) of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processes complex lighting conditions with dark shadow areas and bright sunlight better.
Those who don't have any reservations about importing such a price-intensive smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will get a better device with the Snapdragon version, but buyers with the Exynos version are not at a great disadvantage. The software of an imported device can also vary (depending on the region of origin) with the local software.
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G in the Snapdragon version is available for about 1,317€ from Trading Shenzhen.
Price comparison
