Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra: Expected differences
Four years later, the Ultra experience has massively improved.
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The Galaxy S22 Ultra was a turning point for Samsung in 2022. It brought the Galaxy Note DNA back into the S series by introducing a built-in S Pen, and it doubled down on the camera hardware with a long-range periscope zoom. Even today, it remains a capable phone thanks to its solid hardware. But it is also nearing the end of its software support window, so many owners are probably eyeing the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra as a potential upgrade.
Given the significant time gap between the two, the S26 Ultra will clearly be quite different (and better) in almost every aspect. The display is much brighter and has anti-reflection properties, the chip performance is astronomically higher, battery life has improved massively, and the body is lighter and thinner. In other words, the S26 Ultra will feel like a completely different device in many ways when compared to its four-year-old predecessor.
So, with a four-year gap between the two, what is the full suite of changes that would Galaxy S22 Ultra owners will experience if they upgrade to the S26 Ultra next year? This comparison will clear things up on that matter, and you can hopefully have an easier time deciding whether to stick with the Galaxy Ultra or look at other options instead.
Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra expected differences:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Up to ~3,000 nits with advanced anti-reflection and better outdoor visibility | Peaks at ~1,750 nits with no dedicated anti-reflection layer |
| Far faster and more efficient chip | Older, slower and less efficient flagship chip |
| New chip and OLED tech should noticeably extend screen-on time | 5,000 mAh battery held back by inefficient processor |
| Up to ~60W wired and full Qi2 magnetic wireless charging | 45W wired, 15W wireless, no magnetic alignment |
| Larger 200 MP sensor or wider f/1.4 aperture for better night photos and image quality | Older 108 MP camera tech with good detail, but weaker low-light performance |
| High-quality 5x telephoto with better real-world results | 10x periscope shines at distance, weaker at everyday zoom |
| Thinner body with softer corners and refined feel | Thicker, heavier, and more angular |
| Ships with Android 16 and gets updates into the 2030s | Launched with Android 12, nearing final OS updates |
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Design and Size
From Note-inspired bulk to a slimmer, more refined Ultra
The Galaxy S22 Ultra was unapologetically large and boxy. Its sharp corners, thick frame, and curved display screamed “Galaxy Note replacement”, but they also made it one of the heaviest and most angular phones Samsung has ever made.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, on the other hand, will carry a similar design to the S25 Ultra, which came with a much thinner and lighter body. Leaks point to a 7.9 mm chassis, down from the S22 Ultra’s 8.9 mm, while weight drops by roughly 10 grams. That might not sound like a huge difference when you are comparing the numbers, but in hand, the S26 Ultra will feel very different and much more manageble.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, on the other hand, will carry a similar design to the S25 Ultra, which came with a much thinner and lighter body. Leaks point to a 7.9 mm chassis, down from the S22 Ultra’s 8.9 mm, while weight drops by roughly 10 grams. That might not sound like a huge difference when you are comparing the numbers, but in hand, the S26 Ultra will feel very different and much more manageble.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.9 mm | Thickness 8.9 mm |
| Dimensions 162.8 x 77.6 | Dimensions 163.3 x 77.9 mm |
| Weight Around 218 grams | Weight 229 grams |
Samsung has also gradually softened the Ultra design over the past few generations. Compared to the S22 Ultra’s sharp edges and aggressive curves, the S26 Ultra is expected to have rounded corners while retaining its flat sides. The return of a unified camera island would also mark a visual departure from the older “floating lens” look, largely driven by the need to accommodate larger camera hardware.
What's probably more important for the long-time Galaxy Note fans, however, is that the S Pen is staying. Samsung has reportedly redesigned the stylus to coexist with Qi2 magnets, meaning the S26 Ultra should finally support full magnetic wireless charging without sacrificing the stylus to free space for that feature.
Display Differences
The Galaxy S22 Ultra already had one of the best displays of its time: a 6.8-inch QHD+ OLED panel with adaptive 1–120 Hz refresh rate and a then-impressive 1,750 nits of peak brightness.
Samsung improved on the brightness with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and increased it to 2600 nits, and then even added anti-reflective properties via the Gorilla Armor glass with the S25 Ultra.
Samsung improved on the brightness with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and increased it to 2600 nits, and then even added anti-reflective properties via the Gorilla Armor glass with the S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to make this part even better by switching to a new M14 OLED panel with CoE (Color-on-Encapsulation) technology, which integrates the color filter directly into the panel. This is said to improve light transmission, reducing internal reflections and lowering the power consumption — essentially, increasing the brightness while also improving the battery life.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size 6.9" | Size 6.8" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 1750 nits (peak) |
*expected/rumored
The new peak brightness is rumored to hit around 3,000 nits, making the S26 Ultra dramatically easier to use outdoors than the S22 Ultra (especially with that anti-reflection coating).
There’s also talk about a potential new feature called Flex Magic Pixel, tied to a “Privacy Display” toggle found in early One UI builds. It supposedly allows the screen to dynamically limit viewing angles without dimming the image, effectively replacing privacy screen protectors with a native solution.
There’s also talk about a potential new feature called Flex Magic Pixel, tied to a “Privacy Display” toggle found in early One UI builds. It supposedly allows the screen to dynamically limit viewing angles without dimming the image, effectively replacing privacy screen protectors with a native solution.
Performance and Software
From early Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 growing pains to elite-tier performance
Performance is where the generational gap will be at its most noticeable.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra launched with either Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200, both built on early 4 nm processes and known for their bad case of throttling under heavy sustained load. While fast at the time, those chips struggled with efficiency and overheating.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for all regions), built on TSMC's refined 3 nm process. Compared to the S22 Ultra, this should deliver multiple times higher GPU and CPU performance, not to mention that — unlike the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — it is also built for AI. On top of that, it should have far better sustained performance and significantly improved power efficiency.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for all regions), built on TSMC's refined 3 nm process. Compared to the S22 Ultra, this should deliver multiple times higher GPU and CPU performance, not to mention that — unlike the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — it is also built for AI. On top of that, it should have far better sustained performance and significantly improved power efficiency.
Samsung will also supposedly use a new version of LPDDR5X memory, capable of achieving 10.7 Gbps speeds — the fastest RAM in the industry. This has a high potential of improving on-device AI features, as they are typically very dependent on memory. On top of that, the S26 Ultra will be using the much faster and more efficient UFS 4.0 storage vs UFS 3.1 storage, which should make everything from apps and large files load more quickly.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Chip Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Chip Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 16/1TB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 8/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 3.1 storage |
There is still some chatter about Exynos 2600 in limited regions, but current FCC filings and recent leaks strongly suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be Snapdragon-powered worldwide. Either way, performance will be in a completely different league compared to the S22 Ultra, even compared to the Exynos 2600.
There will also be a major difference in the longevity of the phone. The S22 Ultra launched with a four-year OS update promise (five years of security patches) and is approaching the end of that window. The S26 Ultra, on the other hand, will ship with Android 16 and One UI 8 and receive seven years of updates, keeping it supported well into the 2030s.
There will also be a major difference in the longevity of the phone. The S22 Ultra launched with a four-year OS update promise (five years of security patches) and is approaching the end of that window. The S26 Ultra, on the other hand, will ship with Android 16 and One UI 8 and receive seven years of updates, keeping it supported well into the 2030s.
Camera
A major low-light upgrade and a more modern zoom setup
The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system was ambitious for its time, especially with the 10x periscope zoom that made waves online. That said, it has started to show its age in low light scenarios, but probably even more thanks to its more aggressive processing.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to come with a big change to the main camera. Samsung is rumored to either adopt a larger 1/1.1-inch 200 MP Sony sensor or retain the HP2 sensor and combine it with a much wider f/1.4 aperture. Either approach would dramatically improve light intake, dynamic range, and therefore the image quality compared to the S22 Ultra.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Main 200 MP, f/1.7 or f/1.4 aperutre 25 mm 1/1.1" or 1/1.3" sensor size | Main 108 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.33" sensor size |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.7 13 mm 1/2.5" sensor size | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" sensor size |
| 3x Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.8 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.52" sensor size | 3x telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (70mm) 1/3.52" sensor size |
| 5x telephoto 50 MP, f/4.9 3X zoom (120mm) 1/3.52" sensor size | 10x telephoto 10 MP, f/4.9 3X zoom (230mm) 1/3.52" sensor size |
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is also rumored to mark a shift with the telephoto cameras. Instead of focusing on an extreme 10x zoom that's rather limited when it comes to regular everyday use, Samsung may prioritize a more practical focal length.
The secondary telephoto camera is expected to switch to 5x zoom, with potentially better image quality and a much more usable zoom range.
The secondary telephoto camera is expected to switch to 5x zoom, with potentially better image quality and a much more usable zoom range.
Additional rumored upgrades include a new APV video format, improved HDR algorithms, better microphone audio, and smarter stabilization. While the S22 Ultra was strong in still photography, video is an area where the S26 Ultra is expected to close much of the gap with Apple.
Battery Life and Charging
Same size battery, but completely different experience
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is said to come with the same battery capacity as the S22 Ultra, even when other brands like OnePlus are offering phones with much larger batteries. But battery life is dependent on many factors, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra was notorious for having worse battery life than its predecessor — we gave it an estimate of 5h and 24min vs 6h and 15min.
For comparison, we gave the S25 Ultra an estimate of 8 hours based on our battery life tests. This goes to show just how far the Galaxy Ultra has come in terms of power efficiency. If you are a Galaxy S22 Ultra owner and upgrade to the S26 ultra, battery life would probably be one of the major areas you feel a difference.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Battery size 5,000 mAh | Battery size 5,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 60W wired 25W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 |
As for charging, while the S22 Ultra introduced 45W of wired charging, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is said to come with even faster 60W of wired charging. Give that the battery capacity remains the same, this should mean at least 15 minutes less to juice up the phone from 0-100%. For reference, the last four generations of the Galaxy S Ultra generally took around an hour to fully charge.
The S26 Ultra is also expected to finally introduce full Qi2 magnetic wireless charging, potentially at up to 25W, immediately bringing it to a new era of charging features in the Android market — something that Google initiated with the Pixel 10 and PixelSnap system.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (~10.50 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 229.0 g | |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.9-inch | 6.8-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SM8450 (4 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB 12GB/1024GB |
8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (UFS 3.1) 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1024GB |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 5400 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W | Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra specs comparison
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Summary
Upgrading from the Galaxy S22 Ultra to the Galaxy S26 Ultra would feel like a huge leap forward. The improvements that would be most noticeable are likely the much longer battery life, faster and more flexible charging experience, dramatically higher performance, and the thinner, lighter design.
With seven years of software support, the S26 Ultra also feels like a phone you could realistically keep even longer than my S22 Ultra.
With seven years of software support, the S26 Ultra also feels like a phone you could realistically keep even longer than my S22 Ultra.
If your are an S22 Ultra owner, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the ideal time to upgrade. It’s one of the most compelling Ultra generations Samsung has delivered in years. Another option would be to find a refurbished S25 Ultra, as most of the improvements we discussed are already present with that generation. It does miss the newer charging upgrades, though, as well as the new chip and camera hardware.
For now, we Samsung's announcement of the Galaxy S26 Ultra at the start of 2026. Until then, stay tuned for more information from leaks and rumors!
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