We analyzed 691 verified reviews from actual users of the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G. Our goal is to show how the phone performs in the real world, based on the collective experience of people who own it.
To do this, we comb through every comment to find what people say about key aspects like the camera, battery, screen, and performance. We then classify each mention as positive, negative, or neutral. This process produces the satisfaction scores you see throughout our analysis, offering a clear, data-driven look at the phone’s true strengths and weaknesses.
💸 Value for Money: Conditional Gains, Buyer’s Remorse
When evaluating the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G on its value for money, a story of deep user disappointment emerges, punctuated by moments of conditional satisfaction. For users who felt they got their money’s worth, the sentiment was almost always tied to a special offer.
With general satisfaction on cost sitting at just 49%—a staggering 35 points below the category average of 84%—it’s clear that full-price buyers often feel a sense of buyer’s remorse. For those who secured a promotional price, however, the calculation changes, as one user explained:
Overall with trade in deals you simply won’t find a better phone for the money.
Frustration Over Missing Items
The most acute source of frustration stems from the feeling of being nickel-and-dimed on a flagship purchase. Mentions of unexpected costs or missing items were overwhelmingly negative, with only 8% of users expressing positive sentiment, less than half the category average of 21%.
This frustration is not just about the monetary cost, but the principle of what should be included with a premium device. As one user vented:
I was disappointed that the charger provided was usb-c on both ends with no charging box.
For many, the lack of a charger is not a minor inconvenience but a symbolic misstep that sours the entire unboxing experience and feels like a cost-cutting measure at the consumer’s expense.
An Upgrade That Feels Like a Downgrade
This sense of being short-changed is amplified when users compare the S22 to its predecessors, where the value proposition feels like a step backward. For Upgrade Justification, a mere 30% of users felt the S22 was a worthy upgrade, a score that plummets 29 points below the category average of 59%.
The comparison to older Samsung models is particularly damning. One long-time user lamented:
So even though this was an upgrade, to a 2 year newer phone, there was actually a downgrade in quality.
This regression isn’t just about specs on a sheet; it’s about the tangible loss of features that users had grown to love and expect, from screen resolution to battery performance, making the “upgrade” feel more like a compromise.
Dealbreaker: The chasm between its premium price and a user experience marred by perceived downgrades and missing essentials makes the S22 a questionable investment for many.
📸 Camera: Hardware Meets Software Frustration
For the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, the story of its camera is one of striking contrasts. While users are overwhelmingly impressed by the fundamental quality of the images it produces, their satisfaction is often tempered by frustrations with its software and features.
The core experience is driven by an exceptional 85% positive sentiment for Image and Video Quality, soaring 7 points above the category average. This isn’t just a number; it’s the feeling of capturing a perfect moment. As one user with thousands of dollars in camera equipment stated:
The camera, well, it’s an actual tool of almost professional quality.
A sentiment echoed by another who simply said:
The picture quality is incredible.
This core strength is further bolstered by outstanding low-light performance, which scores 80% positive (19 points above average). Users praised its ability to take photos in darker settings:
being able to take photos at twilight or in darker settings is pretty nice.
Frustrating Feature Implementation
However, this powerhouse performance is let down by the very features meant to enhance it. The phone’s lowest-scoring factor, Camera Features and Modes, sits at a lukewarm 63% positive sentiment, just two points above the category average. Users frequently feel these features are either lacking or poorly implemented.
One photographer’s frustration is palpable:
The 50MP just looks like an upscaled 13MP on every photo I’ve taken, and it’s not available in Pro mode, so that’s useless.
Another user, who switched from an iPhone, pointed out a specific omission that soured their experience:
The front camera does not have a 0.5 feature, which is so annoying.
These shortcomings create a sense that the hardware is being held back by its own software.
Competitive Context
This narrative becomes even clearer when placed in a competitive context. While the S22’s image quality (85%) narrowly edges out rivals like the iPhone 14 (82%) and Google Pixel 7 (84%), its camera features score (63%) falls well behind both the iPhone 14 (69%) and even its own predecessor, the S21 FE (72%).
This gap explains why some long-time Samsung users feel the S22 is a step backward, with one remarking:
I feel S22 is a downgrade from S20…the telephoto camera is a downgrade.
For potential buyers, the choice becomes about what they value more: the raw, impressive quality of the photos or the polished, feature-rich experience offered by competitors.
Trade-Off: The S22 offers a camera with outstanding fundamental image quality and zoom that rivals the best, but this raw capability is often undercut by frustrating feature limitations and a sense of stagnation for some loyal Samsung users.
📱 Screen: Beauty vs. Brawn
For the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, the story of its screen is one of brilliant performance shadowed by significant user frustrations. The high points are genuinely impressive, driven by the display’s quality and vibrancy, with an 80% positive sentiment score. Users are clearly captivated by the visual experience, with one noting:
“Color and graphics just ‘jump off the screen!'”
This is complemented by the screen’s 120Hz refresh rate, which earns a 79% positive score—4 points above the category average. This isn’t just a number on a spec sheet; it translates into a tangible feeling of premium performance, as one user celebrated:
“I love the high refresh rate and how smooth it feels all the time.”
A Fragile Beauty
However, this glowing praise is starkly contrasted by deep-seated disappointment in the screen’s durability. The factor for build quality and materials plummets to a mere 22% positive score, a significant 9 points below the category average and a major source of user concern.
The sense of betrayal is palpable among loyal Samsung customers who felt let down by the new model’s fragility. One user lamented:
“I was dumb enough to believe Samsung’s claims of the gorilla glass iteration being so strong… I noticed a thin scratch across the middle. First time I’ve ever seen that on ANY of my Galaxy S phones.”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Another user who was forced to buy a screen protector warned:
“this screen scratches supppeeerrr weirdly easy”
Trade-offs Against the Competition
This trade-off between beauty and brawn becomes a critical decision for potential buyers when looking at the competition. The Apple iPhone 14, for instance, boasts a perfect 100% positive sentiment for its screen build quality, creating a stark 78-point gap that highlights the S22’s perceived weakness. In a practical sense, this means an iPhone user is far less likely to worry about everyday scratches.
Conversely, the S22’s screen fluidity is a clear advantage over Apple, whose 50% score for smoothness and refresh rate is dwarfed by the S22’s 79%. For a user, this translates into a choice: a more durable screen that feels less responsive, or a silky-smooth display that you might have to coddle.
The decision is further complicated by users who, upgrading from older Galaxy models like the S20, felt the screen was a step backward in resolution. As one noted:
“I do notice a downgrade in resolution, from the 1440 x 3200 pixels that my S20 had. Now I have the lower version FHD 1080 x 2340 pixels.”
Trade-Off: The Galaxy S22’s screen delivers a beautifully vibrant and fluid visual experience that comes at the direct expense of perceived durability and, for some, sheer resolution.
📱 Design: Form Over Function
Regarding its physical design, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G tells a tale of conflicting priorities. While its aesthetics and compact form factor win praise, a series of functional changes and feature removals leave many loyal users feeling betrayed.
A Premium, Pocketable Form Factor
The phone finds its strongest footing with users who are tired of oversized devices and appreciate a premium look. With an 81% positive score for aesthetics and look, users clearly find the device attractive, calling it
absolutely gorgeous
and a
refresher to see something that looks cool.
This is complemented by its appeal to those seeking a smaller phone. While its 64% positive score for size and handling is below the category average of 71%, it resonates deeply with a specific audience.
Owners love that it’s
small enough to fit in my cycling jersey back pocket,
and one user, after trying the larger S22 Ultra, was
very happy with the size,
calling the standard S22 a great choice
for anyone who likes the pocket sized phone.
A Step Backward in Functionality
However, this satisfaction with the phone’s look and feel is massively undermined by deep frustration over its functional design choices. The S22 scores an exceptionally low 15% positive sentiment for its design features and changes, a staggering 25 points below the category average of 40%.
Users feel the phone is a regression, citing the removal of essentials they had come to expect from the Galaxy line. The lack of a headphone jack and expandable storage are common complaints, with one user stating,
this device lacks many of the features of previous Galaxy devices, including the lack of a headphone jack, notification lights and expandable storage.
This frustration extends to the in-screen fingerprint sensor, which another user found was
unusable
after applying a screen protector, concluding that
in-screen sensors seem to be more a bragging right for manufacturers than useful.
How It Compares
This feeling of a functional step backward is amplified when compared to its predecessor and competitors. The S22’s paltry 15% score for features is dwarfed by the Apple iPhone 14‘s 31% and the OnePlus 10 Pro‘s 36%, demonstrating a significant gap in user satisfaction on this critical point.
Longtime Samsung users are particularly vocal, with one stating,
I miss the iconic Galaxy Infinity screen… my s22 has felt more of a downgrade.
For these users, the pleasing aesthetics don’t compensate for what they perceive as a less practical, less user-friendly device.
Trade-Off: Buyers are forced to trade beloved, practical features for a compact and premium-feeling device that many feel is a step backward in usability.
🔥 Performance: Hot Mess, Great Games
When evaluating the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, users tell a story of frustrating contradictions. While the device shines in certain high-intensity scenarios, its potential is consistently throttled by a critical, underlying flaw that significantly impacts the day-to-day experience.
Gaming Capability
The brightest spot in the S22’s performance profile is undoubtedly its gaming. Scoring an impressive 86% positive sentiment, it surpasses the category average of 74% by a notable 12 points. For mobile gamers, this translates into a powerful and fluid experience where the phone confidently handles demanding titles. As one user celebrated:
“I have played many graphic demanding games such as Genshin Impact and other FPS mobile games, and all have run extremely smoothly and in high graphical settings.”
This demonstrates that when conditions are right, the S22 delivers the flagship-level power buyers expect.
Crippling Overheating
However, this power comes at a severe cost. The experience is dramatically soured by the phone’s inability to manage its temperature. With a staggeringly low 8% positive sentiment for thermal management—a full 25 points below the already modest category average of 33%—overheating is not just an occasional nuisance, but a defining characteristic of the device.
This issue moves beyond simple numbers and into physical discomfort for users. One owner described it vividly:
“The phone also gets uncomfortably hot at times. I’ve had to take it out of my pocket and hold it in my hand because it was uncomfortable against my leg.”
Another warned the heat appears even with light use:
“The phone runs extremely hot if utilized longer than 10 minutes, whether it’s website or app use.”
Throttled Everyday Performance
This critical failure to manage heat creates a domino effect, undermining the phone’s overall speed and responsiveness. The S22’s processing power sentiment stands at just 69%, lagging far behind competitors like the OnePlus 10 Pro (93%) and the Apple iPhone 14 (88%).
This gap is not just academic; users feel it as a frustrating lack of fluidity in daily use. One owner explained the slowdown:
“The phone reacts slowly, and will often bog down if I try doing too much at once… If you don’t let the phone take a 5 second break between tasks, it just can’t keep up.”
This feels like a regression even from its predecessor, the S21 FE 5G, which scored 7 percentage points higher on processing power and a massive 19 points higher on multitasking capability, leaving some upgraders feeling they made a mistake.
Dealbreaker: While capable of impressive performance in short bursts, the severe and pervasive overheating throttles the phone’s potential, creating an unreliable and physically uncomfortable user experience.
⚙ Software & OS: Smooth UI, Unstable Core
For the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, the Software and Operating System experience is a story of stark contrasts. Users are often delighted by the surface-level interaction but are just as frequently frustrated by what lies beneath.
The phone’s greatest strength is its user interface and smoothness, where 61% of feedback is positive. Owners appreciate that “everything is smooth and fluid,” and that the One UI is “the best Android skin available.”
This is a tangible benefit for those who value customization and a feature-rich environment, with one user noting, “It has so many features and things that make my life easier.” For many, the day-to-day navigation and look of the software is a clear win.
Software Stability Issues
However, this polished surface conceals a deeply unstable core. Software stability is the S22’s Achilles’ heel, with a staggeringly low 16% positive sentiment—a full 11 points below the category average of 27%.
This isn’t just a number; it translates into severe, daily-use frustrations for owners. Users report that “Android Auto crashes often on this device” and that “the phone is just prone to turning off.”
The problems are varied and disruptive, from connectivity bugs to compatibility failures, leading one owner to lament:
I couldn’t send or receive picture messages to anyone with an iPhone. I tried troubleshooting on my own and it wouldn’t resolve it so I ended up spending three hours at Verizon getting that resolved.
Competitive Comparison
This software inconsistency becomes even more pronounced when set against its rivals. While some users find the S22’s interface smooth, its 61% positive rating for UI and smoothness pales in comparison to the seamless experience on the Apple iPhone 14, which boasts a 76% score.
This 15-point gap means an iPhone user is significantly more likely to enjoy a consistently fluid and trouble-free interaction. The stability gap is just as stark; the iPhone 14’s stability score is double that of the S22 (32% vs. 16%), highlighting a fundamental difference in software reliability that shoppers can’t ignore.
For one user who switched from an iPhone, the experience was initially jarring, admitting, “At first I felt uneasy about the S22 since I’m not used to android,” before eventually being won over by the feature set, demonstrating the steep learning curve and different philosophies at play.
Trade-Off: Users gain a highly customizable and feature-rich interface but must accept a level of software instability and bugs that its key competitors have largely solved.
🔋 Battery: Fast Charge, Short Life
When evaluating the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G’s battery, users tell a story of profound contradiction. While the phone boasts many premium features, its endurance is a source of significant frustration, creating a daily cycle of anxiety mitigated only by its one redeeming quality: charging speed.
With a positive score of 67% for this factor, nearly matching the category average of 69%, a quick top-up is the phone’s single saving grace. For users tethered to their chargers, this speed is a necessary relief, summed up by one who noted:
I LOVE the C to C fast charger, my phone can be fully charged in less than an hour.
The Deeper Problem
However, this rapid charging only serves to mask a much deeper problem. The phone’s overall battery life is a colossal disappointment, with a positive sentiment score of just 29%—a staggering 45 points below the category average of 74%.
The “why” behind this is even more revealing: users point to unpredictable and severe battery drain patterns, a factor scoring an abysmal 5% positive sentiment. This isn’t just about not lasting a full day; it’s about the battery evaporating under circumstances that shouldn’t tax it. As one user meticulously documented:
fully charging to 100% and then leaving it idle for 9hours overnight reduced the battery to 91%!
This creates a constant sense of unease, with many echoing the sentiment that “the battery life is the absolute worst of any phone I’ve ever had,” forcing them to “charge this phone at least twice a day.”
Falling Behind the Competition
This poor performance feels like a step backward, especially for loyal Samsung users. The phone’s predecessor, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G, performed 21 points better on battery life, leading one user to conclude, “I think reducing the battery size from last year’s S21 may have been a mistake.”
The comparison to competitors is even more stark. The Apple iPhone 14, a direct rival, boasts a battery life score of 79%, a massive 50 points higher than the S22.
This vast numerical gap translates into a fundamentally different user experience: while iPhone owners enjoy a full day of use with confidence, S22 users are left with persistent battery anxiety.
Dealbreaker: The necessity of frequent and rapid charging cannot compensate for a battery life that is not just poor, but a significant regression from its predecessors and a massive liability against its competitors.
Bottom Line
- ✅ The camera is the single best Cfeature, praised for “almost professional” image quality with an 85% positive rating.
- ⚠️ Crippling performance issues are the biggest complaint, driven by severe overheating (only 8% positive rating) and abysmal battery life (29% positive).
- 🔻 It’s a frustrating upgrade for loyal users, with only 30% feeling it was justified, citing removed features like expandable storage and a lower-resolution screen.
- 📉 A clear regression from its predecessor, with the S21 FE scoring a massive 21 points higher on overall battery life.
- 🏁 It is decimated by its key rival, with the iPhone 14’s battery life scoring an incredible 50 points higher than the S22.
- 💡 Bottom Line: A phone of extreme trade-offs, only recommended for those who prioritize a compact design and camera quality above all else, especially battery life and stable performance.