After weeks of leaks, Samsung has officially held its first big Unpacked event of 2022 — and it announced three new smartphones and three new tablets. It didn't announce a new smartwatch, but it did roll out a bunch of new health and wellness features to its existing Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Classic (you can read more that, here).
Here's what you need to know about Samsung's new line of Galaxy S22 smartphones and Galaxy Tab S8 tablets.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the company's new "best of the best" flagship smartphone. It's interesting because, in addition having the most top-of-the-line features of any new Samsung smartphone, it also adds the power and productivity features that were previously reserved for Samsung's Note line. That's right — it comes integrated with a new low-latency S Pen. (This also likely means Samsung is fully abandoning its Note line.)
Compared to all of Samsung's new smartphones (which you can check out below), the Galaxy S22 Ultra is decked out the largest AMOLED display (6.8 inches), the biggest battery (5,000mAh), the best and most capable camera system (now with 108-megapixel wide lens, capable of shooting 8K video, 100x zoom and a bunch AI-driven features) and the best built-in speakers, with support for Dolby Atmos. It also has the first 4.0-nanometer processor that's ever been put in a smartphone.
Price and Availability: The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be available for pre-order starting this Friday (February 9) and be everywhere on February 25. It will start at $1,200.
Samsung Galaxy S22/S22+
The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ are very similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra in a lot of ways. They have the same 4nm processor, the same AMOLED display (albeit smaller) and most of the same camera capabilities. The main differences are that the Galaxy S22 and S22+ are smaller, have smaller batteries and they don't come with a built-in S Pen.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ have the same exact camera systems, but compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra they lack the 108MP wide-angle lens (theirs is 50MP instead) so they can't shoot as high-resolution photos, and they don't have the same advanced autofocusing capabilities.
As far as the differences between the Galaxy S22 and S22+, it primarily comes down to size, battery life and charging speeds (and price, of course). The Galaxy S22 has a 6.1" display and a 3,700mAh battery, while the Galaxy S22+ has a 6.6" display and a 4,500mAh battery. When wired, the S22+ supports 45-watt fast-charging, just like the Ultra, while the S22 only gets up to 25 watts. Both wirelessly charge at a max of 15 watts.
Price and Availability: The Galaxy S22 and S22+ will both be available for pre-order starting this Friday (February 9) and they'll be available everywhere on February 25. The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ will start at $800 and $1,000, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, S8+ and S8 Ultra
Samsung announced its new line of flagship tablets and, just like its new line of smartphones, there are three to choose from: the Galaxy Tab S8, Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra. All three are significant because they're way more powerful and more beautiful than in the past — it feels like Samsung is finally making higher-end tablets to at least compete with Apple's line of iPads.
All three Tab S8 series tablets have the same powerful 4nm processor (just like its new smartphones), 120Hz displays (making them primed for gaming), support for 5G and they come with an S Pen. The S8 Ultra is really the standout of the new Galaxy Tab S8 series, as it's Samsung's largest ever tablet (with an 14.6" AMOLED display), super thin bezels and most advanced camera system with 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses (the Tab S8 and Tab S8+ just have the 12MP ultra-wide lens). Coupled with a full keyboard and stylus accessories, it's the closest thing that Samsung has ever made to Apple's iPad Pro models.
The Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+ are both smaller than the Tab S8 Ultra, with 11" and 12.6" displays, respectively. The Tab S8+ feels like a prime middle ground between the two other models, as it has the same Super AMOLED display and on-display fingerprint reader as the Tab S8 Ultra (while the Tab S8 lacks both), but the same camera system and color options as the Tab S8.
Price and Availability: The Galaxy Tab S8, S8+ and S8 Ultra will all be available pre-order beginning this February (February 9). The Tab S8 starts at $700. The Tab S8+ starts at $900. And the Tab S8 Ultra starts at $1,1000.
