Complete Guide to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Camera

Rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S22 have been rife for months, including in regards to its camera. So, what's actually in store? After some uncertainty in the wake of the ongoing global chip shortage, the Galaxy S22 is finally here to answer that question.

And there's plenty to unpack. While the Galaxy S22 looks very much like its predecessor, Samsung has upgraded the next generation of its best-selling smartphone in one or two key areas.

By and large, this upgrade involves fitting the Samsung Galaxy S22 with a new processor and overhauling its camera. And although the Galaxy S22's upgraded processor is undoubtedly a selling point, it's the new phone's revised camera setup that's arguably more interesting.

The new processor in the Samsung Galaxy S22 promises a faster, more powerful, and increasingly efficient smartphone. It also plays a crucial part in powering the Galaxy S22's new camera. The outgoing S21's camera setup remains among the best on the smartphone market. The Galaxy S22 builds upon this, improving in several areas. However, the most considerable improvement concerns the S22's main camera.

While the existing Samsung Galaxy S21's primary camera has a 12MP sensor, the same sensor on the new phone gets a 400 percent boost, taking it to 50MP. First and foremost, this bigger sensor lets in more light making photos brighter.

Of course, Google has had a 50MP sensor in its Pixel 6 smartphone for a while already. However, other improvements surrounding the S22's camera setup should see it now far outperform the Google handset.

Samsung has also gone big on a superior grade of sensor – something that promises brighter photos and much bolder images. However, despite these upgrades, there's some criticism to be made regarding the camera app itself.

That's because while existing innovations like Samsung's Single Take and DualView tools continue to impress, no new modes have been added. So, even though the Galaxy S22's new camera is superior to earlier revisions, with the supporting app not receiving a corresponding upgrade, it doesn't feel like too much has changed in a hands-on sense.

Elsewhere, the Samsung Galaxy S22 has the same 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP front-facing cameras found on the S21. Yet, when it comes to the Galaxy S22's telephoto camera, something slightly strange has transpired as far as its long-focus offering.

Here, the S22's telephoto camera has succumbed to around an 80 percent reduction in power compared to the S21. That said, Samsung has significantly improved the revised version's zoom. Whereas the S21's telephoto camera had just a 1.1x optical zoom, its replacement is almost three times more powerful, now offering a 3x optical zoom.

Elsewhere, Samsung has also technically downgraded the Galaxy S22's display, taking it from 6.2 inches on the S21 to 6.1 inches on the new handset. Ultimately, though, it's a negligible decrease in size and something that's no doubt been done to help maintain the compact proportions and lightweight construction of the more powerful next-generation model.

For those keen to dissect the Samsung Galaxy S22's camera setup further, the full specs look as follows:

The Samsung Galaxy S22's camera array also gets built-in scene optimization, flaw detection, and so-called Nightography functionality. These features are all carried over from the two more costly handsets in the S22 lineup – the Galaxy S22 Plus and S22 Ultra. The latter also boasts an even more powerful main camera, packing a huge 108MP sensor.

The standard Galaxy S22’s impressive camera specs don't just facilitate taking top-notch photos. They also combine to make the S22 among the best smartphones on the market for capturing video. The result is stable and virtually blurless clips that remain smooth, even when moving.

It's an overall setup, in fact, not dissimilar to that on the existing Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, it's worth remembering that the best-selling S21 Ultra remains a $1,199 smartphone. The Galaxy S22, meanwhile, costs $799.99 when pre-ordered directly from Samsung. That makes it the same price as its lower-spec predecessor and $400 cheaper than the current S21 Ultra.

With a new handset comes the need for a new extended smartphone warranty. Upsie offers comprehensive Samsung Galaxy S22 subscription warranties now available online and through the exclusive Upsie app. In addition, Upsie costs just $9.99 per month.

Benefits of choosing Upsie include comprehensive, affordable, and straightforward coverage against manufacturing defects, mechanical faults, cracks, drops, liquid spills, and more. Upsie offers a range of warranties for all Samsung Galaxy smartphones, including the all-new Galaxy S22.

Best of all, customers can make two claims every 12 months and still receive comprehensive coverage, ensuring they get the most out of their warranty protection.