Google Pixel 7 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
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Google’s Pixel 7 Pro improves upon its predecessor in every way, with a striking design, excellent performance, and a class-leading camera system. It’s not the most powerful Android phone, but its software many unique features make up for it.
If you’re looking for a flagship that comes with a pen, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a great pick. Featuring a boost in camera quality, battery life, and overall performance, if you have the money to spend, you won’t be sorry.
TheGoogle Pixel 7 Prois a relatively minor update from thePixel 6 Pro, and is now about a year old. Another release, the Pixel 8 series, has since succeeded the 7 Pro as Google’s preeminent Pixel flagship, making the 7 Pro model an intriguing option for those seeking a great phone at a bargain price.
If you’re eyeing a flagship Android upgrade, the Pixel 7 Pro may be the perfect opportunity. Its most obvious competition comes in the form of theSamsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung’s own previous-gen flagship offering. They’re bothfantastic Android phones, but not necessarily for the same reasons. Let’s find out how the two stack up.
Price, availability, and specs
Despite being older, the S22 Ultra remains pricier than its competitor. The Google Pixel 7 Pro started at $899 for a 128GB build while 256GB and 512GB versions were priced at $999 and $1,099, respectively. The 128GB Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra went on sale for a much higher, $1,200 in the US; the 256GB model was $1,300, and the 512GB fetched $1,400.
Both of these phones can be found at discounted prices today, and considering stock discrepancies, you might even find a great bargain on a formerly much more expensive device. The Phantom Black and Burgundy 512GB S22 Ultras are priced just under $1,000 on Amazon lately, while you can snag a 256GB Green model for about the same. Pixel 7 Pros have maintained the $100 separation, but all three storage models have been drastically reduced from the initial retail price, with the 256GB model listed at $749 and 512GB posted at $849 on Amazon.
All things considered here, this gives the Google phone a serious edge over its competition when it comes to value, even considering Samsung’s hardware advantages.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have a lot in common, physically. They’re both big phones, with screens measuring 6.7 and 6.8 inches, respectively. Those screens each curve over the long edges of the phones, though the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s curve is more pronounced. In addition, each phone has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, and neither includes a headphone jack.
But there are key differences, of course. For one, these phones are styled very differently. The Pixel 7 Pro sticks close to the now-established Pixel aesthetic, camera bar and all. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, looks plainer, with a largely featureless glass back and a cluster of discrete camera modules in the upper-left corner. Samsung’s flagship also includes the fan-favorite built-in S Pen, a return to form after Samsung’s 2021 lineup lacked any phone with a built-in stylus.
Neither phone feels cheap, but the S22 Ultra has the edge regarding build quality. Samsung’s phone feels more solid and dense than Google’s; the seams where glass meets metal are smoother; and the S22’s flat top and bottom edges give it a more modern look than the Pixel’s bubbly, rounded design. Plus, the S22 Ultra has that built-in stylus — a unique advantage for Samsung. Color choices are also richer for Samsung buyers. The S22 Ultra comes in Green, Burgundy, Phantom Black, and Phantom White, while the Google Pixel 7 Pro is offered in three colors: Obsidian, Hazel, and Snow.
Software and performance
The Pixel 7 Pro ships with Google’s customized version of Android 13 out of the box, but has since received an update to Android 14. The S22 Ultra, meanwhile, launched with Android 12, but is now running Android 14 under Samsung’s One UI 6 skin.
The Pixel 7 Pro is guaranteed security patches for five years (ending in 2027) and three major Android release updates (ending in 2025). The S22 Ultra is guaranteed five years of security updates, ending earlier than the Pixel’s, butfourAndroid version upgrades. Since the Pixel 7 Pro started on 13 and the S22 Ultra on 12, they should both make it to Android 16.
Samsung’s software experience is super customizable, with all kinds of fun tricks possible through Good Lock. The Pixel 7 Pro, on the other hand, has Google’s excellent and exclusive features like Assistant-powered call screening, crazy good voice-to-text, and access to features like Photo Unblur in Google Photos.
Performance out of each phone is roughly comparable — they’re both really fast. The Pixel 7 Pro has Google’s custom Tensor G2 chipset paired with 12GB of RAM, whereas the Galaxy S22 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with 8 or 12GB of RAM. Either phone can handle the basics like calls and web browsing with flying colors, and they both have ample horsepower for more intensive tasks like gaming or productivity multitasking. Using the two side by side, you might notice one is quicker than the other at certain tasks, but with both devices performing at such a high level, power isn’t a meaningful differentiator between the two phones.
Battery and charging
The Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra each have a 5,000mAh battery. Google promises “all-day battery life” in the Pixel 7 Pro, but our results haven’t been so sunny. In our review, we noted getting through the day with moderate use — that’s five hours of mixed-use screen time — with about 20 percent left in the tank. That might translate to “all day” if you’re a lighter user, but it’s not quite what we’d expect out of such a claim.
The S22 Ultra fairs a little better. We saw “a little over 24 hours” on a charge “with around six hours of screen time” in our review. Also not an endurance champ, but likely more manageable than the Pixel.
Charging is no contest, though: Samsung wins. The S22 Ultra can hit up to 45W with compatible chargers, whereas the Pixel 7 Pro can pull about 23 watts — despite its 30W rating.
Both the Pixel 7 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra feature 1440p OLED displays with refresh rates that top out at 120Hz. They both look great, but Samsung’s is just a hair larger at 6.8 inches compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s 6.7 inches. The Ultra’s display is also covered in Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus+, meaning it should be marginally tougher than the regular Victus glass used in the Pixel 7 Pro.
The Pixel 7 Pro can manage a peak brightness of 1,500 nits outdoors; the Galaxy S22 Ultra can crank it up to 1,750 nits. These figures are for HDR content viewed in exceptionally bright conditions, so you won’t often see either getquiteso bright. Still, both phones can get plenty bright enough to use in most lighting conditions, and overall, both screens look great.
Camera performance
The Pixel 7 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Ultra both have flagship-level camera setups, but the one you choose will come down to your preferences.
Google’s Pro phone has a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 48MP 5x telephoto camera. The S22 Ultra has a 108MP primary, a 10MP ultrawide, a 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 10MP 10x telephoto. With two telephoto shooters at two very different magnification levels, the S22 wins on versatility — there’ll be some shots the S22 can get that the Pixel just can’t. While that 108MP primary looks like an advantage on paper, both phones bin their primary sensors down to about 12 megapixels by default.
Some will prefer Google’s photo processing, though, which tends to skew cooler and darker than Samsung’s. The Pixel 7 Pro also often maintains faster shutter speeds than the S22 Ultra in low light, so indoor shots of moving subjects will likely be clearer from the Pixel 7 Pro than the Galaxy S22 Ultra — handy if you take lots of photos of your kids or pets.
The S22 Ultra has a 40MP selfie camera with autofocus, whereas the Pixel 7 Pro has a 10.8MP fixed-focus selfie shooter. As a result, photos from the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s front-facing camera should turn out sharper than those from the Pixel.
Which should you buy?
The Pixel 7 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Ultra are bothgreat 5G phones, and you’re able to’t go wrong with either; however, the S22 Ultra does edge the Pixel 7 Pro out in several ways.
The S22 Ultra’s display gets brighter, its battery lasts a little longer, it has a tighter build quality, it’s a bit lighter, and it comes with an S Pen. Samsung’s updates have also become nearly as timely and, in recent history, more reliable than Google’s — the Pixel 6 series suffered from a number of late and rocky updates early in its lifespan.
The most powerful mainstream flagship
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is an industry-leading flagship performer. A year on from its release and the device continues to turn heads with its quality construction, immense performance, and now a reduced price tag to make it all even more enticing. Battery life and camera performance are highlights here, and the added S Pen makes for a fully functional tool that can go from entertainment to business in an instant.
However, you certainly won’t steer the wrong way with a Pixel 7 Pro from Google either. The Pixel 7 Pro started $300 less expensive and remains at a favorable price advantage. It’s also got Google’s excellent software and trademark camera performance going for it. Samsung wins on fundamentals like build quality and battery life, but the Pixel 7 Pro is still a powerful phone at a lower price. If that speaks to you, you likely won’t be disappointed in the Pixel.
The smoothest Android experience
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro improves upon the Pixel experience in a wide range of key aspects. The camera array is phenomenal and the software and AI features that underpin its utility make for a wonderful mobile experience all around. At a great price point, too, the Pixel 7 Pro should be a serious contender in any search for a new device.
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