World enews: Samsung’s Galaxy S22 phones are the safe bet

Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 Ultra is getting a lot of buzz since it’s the reincarnation of the Note. By comparison, the regular S22 and S22 Plus are much more iterative with a design that’s similar to last year’s S21 lineup. It’s been reported that Samsung was disappointed with the sales performance of its flagship phones in 2021, and at first glance, there’s little about the S22 and S22 Plus that make them feel like must-have upgrades. They’ve got the standard mix of camera and performance enhancements, but no big wow factor.

But so what? There’s something to be said for Samsung’s hardware quality and consistency. The OLED screens in Galaxy phones are always that extra little bit nicer — in terms of uniformity, brightness, and so on — than what you’ll find in the Android competition. And the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that returns in the S22 is on a different level than, say, the Pixel 6’s slow reader.

Samsung refined the design of the S22s with a flat screen, symmetrical bezels, and more rugged Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both front and back. When you combine that elegant hardware with four years of promised Android software updates, I think it makes for a compelling phone. That’s true of the S22 Plus, at least. Watch our video hands-on for the full rundown before the S22 and S22 Plus go on sale on February 25th.