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The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery life drags behind the S21 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Two steps forward, one step back…
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The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is here, in all its S-Pen holding glory. Reviewers have been putting the handset through its paces, so just how well does the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 5,000 mAh battery fare in battery life testing?
We’ll start with YouTuber Arun Maini, aka Mrwhosetheboss, who always has a comprehensive test for us to watch.
He put the S22 Ultra against the S21 Ultra, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the Pixel 6 Pro, and Xiaomi’s 12 Pro. All flagships from the last year, and the previous Galaxy Ultra model.
READ MORE: Samsung is releasing a purple Galaxy S22 – here’s how to get it
You can watch the video below if you want the full story, or skip below it for the condensed version.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s battery life is mildly disappointing according to the tests. It comes in third, beaten by both last year’s S21 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Both Samsung handsets have a 5,000 mAh battery, so maybe some optimization can help increase the S22 Ultra’s battery life. The surprise here? The smaller, 4,352 mAh battery on the iPhone 13 Pro Max beat both Samsung handsets by over two hours. Ouch.
Is this the picture from other reviewers as well? Well, Tom’s Guide got 10 hours and 18 minutes out of their S22 Ultra, when the screen was set to 60Hz.
This is longer than the 7 hours and 55 minutes the Pixel 6 Pro managed in the same test. That said, it’s way behind the 11 hours and 25 minutes that last year’s S21 Ultra posted. On Apple’s side, the iPhone 13 Pro Max got 12 hours and 16 minutes in the same test.
That’s the picture from other outlets as well. Phone Arena found their S22 Ultra “lasted just over 13 hours” in their casual use test. Even Samsung’s own marketing material shows the S22 range with lower battery life stats compared with last year’s S21 range.
That’s odd, especially for Samsung which loves to improve every aspect of its handsets year on year. Maybe Samsung can claw back some efficiency with software updates.
It’s not that the Galaxy S22 Ultra doesn’t have an all-day battery life, or 45W charging so you can charge to 50% in 20 minutes.
The disappointment is seeing lower battery life stats than the previous model, in a market where manufacturers are trying to impress with longevity.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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