Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Battle of the beasts

The competition at the top of the Android mountain is pretty stiff, but Samsung is looking to make some major waves thanks to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Not only does this phone feature DNA from the beloved Galaxy Note lineup, but it has plenty of other features to try and dethrone the Pixel 6 Pro as the best Android phone.

Today, we’re taking a look at how the Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro stack up in an effort to make your decision a little bit easier.

• Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra
• Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 lineup might just change the way you think about tablets
• How to buy the Galaxy S22
• Best Galaxy S22 Chargers

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Spec Comparison

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Displays

If you want the biggest and baddest display on the market, you’ll have to go with Samsung’s offering as the Galaxy S22 Ultra is equipped with a massive 6.8-inch QHD+ display. As expected, this features a variable refresh rate, but goes between 1Hz and 120Hz instead of the 10Hz minimum you’ll find elsewhere. It’s difficult to make the Pixel 6 Pro look small, but with its 6.71-inch OLED display, that’s just what Samsung has done. The Pixel 6 Pro also features a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, so you won’t be missing out anything regardless of which phone you pick.

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Power

As is the case with the Galaxy S22 vs Pixel 6, we’ll have to play a bit of a “wait and see” game with the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Google’s Tensor chip. Both of these offer flagship-level performance, but it will be interesting to see how well both of these chipsets stand up over the course of the next year.

In terms of configurations, the Pixel 6 Pro gets a slight leg up, as all three different storage options (128GB, 256GB, or 512GB) are available with 12GB of RAM to go along with the Tensor chip. On the other side of the coin, those who want the base configuration for the Galaxy S22 Ultra are “limited” to 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. Thankfully, if you get any of the larger storage options (256GB, 512GB, or 1TB), you’ll enjoy 12GB of RAM by default. It’s not really known why Samsung opted to cut costs a bit for the base model, but it’s definitely something to be aware of when comparing these two options.

Looking at battery life, these two phones are pretty evenly matched as both the Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro offer a 5,000mAh cell. The differences here can only really be found in the charging speeds, as Samsung has FINALLY brought 45W fast wired charging to its flagship handset. Google also upped the ante with the release of the Pixel 6 Pro, maxing out at 30W charging speeds, but it still falls a bit short of what the Galaxy S22 Ultra is offering.

However, those who are more interested in wireless charging will enjoy the faster 23W wireless charging speeds enabled when using Google’s new Pixel Stand v2. Meanwhile the Galaxy S22 Ultra remains capped at 15W charging speeds if you want to ditch the cables.

Other features that are found on both of these phones include Ultra Wideband support, Wi-Fi 6e, and an under-display fingerprint scanner. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra has another trick up its sleeve that Google simply cannot compete with.

We mentioned before that the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been infused with the Galaxy Note’s DNA, and that’s not only evidenced by the changes in design. Instead, this is the first Galaxy S phone to be released with a built-in S Pen. The writing has been on the wall for some time, especially after S Pen support came to last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra and subsequently the Galaxy Z Fold 3. But one of the biggest complaints that Samsung fans have had is the need for an extra case or workaround just to make sure that you don’t forget the S Pen. Those frustrations have been solved thanks to the silo found on the bottom right side of the phone.

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Cameras

Next up, we have the camera hardware. And if there’s one device that could take down the Pixel 6 Pro, it’s going to be the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The main lens found in Samsung’s 2022 flagship has been upgraded to a 108MP wide-angle lens featuring what Samsung is calling ‘Nona-binning’. This essentially combines the data from 9 pixels into one larger pixel, turning that 108MP lens into a 12MP sensor. But the end result adds much more light to the image while also reducing blur. Considering how important it has become to take great pictures at night, Samsung is turning to a combination of hardware and software instead of relying on just one or the other.

Accompanying the main camera is a trio of accessory lens, including a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and dual 10MP telephoto cameras. One of the 10MP telephoto lenses provides 3x optical zoom, while the other offers 10x optical zoom. All of these cameras can combine to continue offering Samsung’s Space Zoom feature, which advertises 100X zoom capable of snapping photos of the moon (or constellations), right from your phone.

Turning things up even further is the addition of Samsung’s Expert RAW app, which is only available for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. With this, you’ll be presented with a DSLR-like experience, with all of the tools to make necessary adjustments right from your phone, while also snapping photos in a 16-bit RAW format. It’s rather interesting to see Samsung release a separate app to bring these controls instead of integrating it into the main camera app, but at least the option is there.

As for the Pixel 6 Pro, there’s a reason why Google was able to continue using the same camera lenses on its phones for years, and it has everything to do with image processing. Now, not only will you be able to enjoy Google’s software prowess when taking photos, but the camera hardware has been upgraded to surpass what you thought was previously impossible.

The Pixel 6 Pro is headlined by a 50MP wide-angle lens capable of capturing breath-taking shots, regardless of how much light you have available. This is paired with a 12MP ultra-wide lens using a 114-degree Field of View, and a tertiary 48MP telephoto lens that offers 4x optical zoom. You won’t find an additional rear-facing camera with the Pixel 6 Pro, making the Galaxy S22 Ultra the more-logical pick for those who want ultimate flexibility when it comes to the camera hardware. But Google’s software does enough to warrant a second-thought, especially when you look at Pixel-specific features like Magic Eraser and other tools that are available on the phone.

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro: Price and Conclusion

Leading up to the announcement, rumors suggested that Samsung might be bringing a price hike with the Galaxy S22 lineup, including the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, as the phone starts at the same $1,199 price point as its predecessor. On paper, that might seem all fine and dandy, but it’s really a tough sell when stacked up against the Pixel 6 Pro and its $899 starting price. You could double the storage in the Pixel 6 Pro and still come in below Samsung’s asking price.

Of course, as is the case with every major Samsung smartphone release, there are plenty of deals to be had. The company is notorious for offering one of the best trade-in programs out there, and that trend will only continue with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. But if you don’t plan on trading in your older phone, and are looking at this in a vacuum, even with the addition of the S Pen and an extra telephoto lens, the Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Pixel 6 Pro really isn’t much of a contest.