Compare Galaxy S26 Ultra and S22 Ultra: 4 years gap

Detailed comparison of Galaxy S26 Ultra and S22 Ultra shows the transformation of the 3,000 nits screen, super powerful chip, 60W charging and new design.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra launched in 2022 was an important milestone, marking the revival of the legendary Note series under the name S series with integrated S Pen.

However, after 4 years of service, this device is gradually reaching the end of its software support life cycle and the hardware is starting to show signs of “age”.

Meanwhile, leaked information about the Galaxy S26 Ultra expected to launch in early 2026 is painting a picture of a completely different masterpiece.

If you are wondering whether to “break up” with the old Galaxy S22 Ultra and upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the detailed comparison below will help you have the clearest view of the technology difference between these two generations 4 years apart.

Even though it’s perfect, the above are still just the expected parameters of the Galaxy S26. Official information will be revealed when this flagship officially launches next February.

In the meantime, you can refer to this year’s hottest Samsung flagship device that is not inferior to the Galaxy S26 Ultra:

Design: From square and sharp edges to delicate softness

If the Galaxy S22 Ultra makes a strong impression with its square, sharp, masculine design but is quite thick (8.9mm) and heavy, the Galaxy S26 Ultra promises to bring a much more comfortable holding experience.

Sources say the Galaxy S26 Ultra will inherit the impressive thinness of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, only about 7.9mm and about 10 grams lighter than its predecessor.

This change may be small on paper, but in reality it will significantly reduce pressure on the wrist over long periods of use.

Furthermore, Samsung seems to want to soften the Ultra line. Instead of the sharp square corners that sometimes cause discomfort, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to have softer rounded corners and return to the design of a solid camera cluster (camera island) instead of separate lenses.

In particular, the S Pen is still retained but has been redesigned to be compatible with Qi2 wireless charging magnets, a feature that the S22 Ultra does not have at all.

Screen: Leap in brightness and display technology

The screen of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is inherently beautiful, but the display technology on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is on a completely different level. Maximum brightness is expected to jump from 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S22 Ultra to a record level of about 3,000 nits on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Combined with high-end anti-reflection coating and new M14 OLED panel technology, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s outdoor visibility will be completely superior, delivering clearer and more brilliant images.

In addition, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is also rumored to integrate the “Flex Magic Pixel” security feature, allowing the screen to automatically limit the viewing angle to prevent peeping without the need to add a screen protector to reduce display quality.

Performance: Many times more processing power and coolness

This is the aspect that most clearly shows the 4-year technology gap. Galaxy S22 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip (or Exynos 2200) on the early 4nm process, which is famous for overheating problems and unstable performance.

In contrast, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (or equivalent) on the state-of-the-art 3nm process. The difference in CPU and GPU processing power is huge, not to mention the outstanding AI processing capabilities of the new chip.

In addition, using UFS 4.0 memory and high-speed LPDDR5X RAM on the Galaxy S26 Ultra will help every operation to open applications, download games or process videos take place much faster than the old standard on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

More importantly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be supported with software updates for up to 7 years, ensuring you can use it with peace of mind until the 2030s, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra is preparing to receive the final updates.

Camera: Improved night photo and video quality

The camera system on the Galaxy S26 Ultra will overcome the inherent weaknesses of the S22 Ultra, especially the ability to take low-light photos.

With a larger 200MP main sensor or an expanded f/1.4 aperture, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will capture light much better, reduce noise and increase detail for night photos.

Regarding zoom capability, instead of focusing on the sometimes rarely used 10x optical number, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can switch to using a high-quality 5x telephoto lens with a better sensor.

This helps improve image quality at mid-range focal lengths (from 3x to 10x) that users often use every day to take portraits or events.

Video recording capabilities also promise strong improvements in image stabilization and HDR processing.

Battery and Charging: Actual usage time increases significantly

Although the battery capacity may remain the same at 5,000mAh, the actual usage time of the Galaxy S26 Ultra will definitely be much better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra thanks to the power-saving chip and energy-efficient screen panel.

If the Galaxy S22 Ultra often disappoints because the battery drains quickly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to deliver impressive on-screen time, possibly up to 8 hours or more.

Charging technology also has a new step forward when Galaxy S26 Ultra supports fast wired charging up to 60W (compared to the old 45W), helping to shorten the time to fully charge the battery.

In particular, the appearance of the Qi2 magnetic wireless charging standard will open up an ecosystem of convenient magnetic accessories similar to MagSafe on iPhone, something that Galaxy S22 Ultra users have never experienced.

In short, upgrading from Galaxy S22 Ultra to Galaxy S26 Ultra is not just a trickle-down upgrade, but a complete transformation of the experience.

From the bright screen, cool performance, top-notch night camera to strong battery and convenient charging, the Galaxy S26 Ultra deserves to be the next stop for loyal fans of the old Galaxy Note series.