The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is a predictably strong reasonably priced telephone with a powerful principal digital camera and exemplary stamina, although its efficiency and show depart slightly to be desired.
Professionals
- Solidly constructed
- First rate principal digital camera
- Robust stamina
Cons
- Mediocre LCD tech
- Poor efficiency
- Hefty construct
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Nice enduranceA giant battery lasts very long time between costs, and there’s a charger within the field -
Strong construct high quality Strong development may not be high-end, however it appears to be like sensible -
First rate displayThe 90Hz show will get the job finished at this worth
Introduction
Shopping for a 5G telephone for across the £200 mark is a dangerous enterprise, but when anybody can instil slightly confidence by model energy alone it ought to be Samsung. So does the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G reward such belief?
The telephone launched again in early June 2021, and with a launch worth of simply £209 it offered one of many cheaper 5G-ready telephones of its time.
It’s since been changed by the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, however this implies that you would be able to at the moment choose up a model new A22 5G from a longtime third occasion retailer for nicely underneath the £200 mark.
All of this leaves an apparent query: is the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G nonetheless a worthwhile purchase should you’re in search of a cut price 5G telephone?
Design and display
- Strong however heavy physique
- 6.6-inch FHD+ TFT LCD
- 90Hz refresh fee
The essential look of the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G follows the broad design template of different A-series handsets such because the Galaxy A32 5G and the Galaxy A52 5G. There are delicate variations to be discovered, nevertheless.
There’s a well-known plastic physique with a curved metal-effect rim, although right here there are curious ridges close to the entrance and rear edges. There’s additionally a glass-effect plastic again like these different telephones, however right here the end is matte relatively than shiny.
On the color entrance you get a alternative of Gray, White, and Violet finishes. My mannequin comes within the silky white possibility, which ensures that these greasy fingerprints received’t present up, on the very least.
One other distinction from these aforementioned Samsung stablemates is the Galaxy A22 5G’s digital camera module. Right here the three digital camera sensors and flash are organized in a rounded-square formation relatively than stretched out in a line.
Once more, Samsung’s A-series design is reassuringly strong and unshowy. It received’t win any magnificence contests, however the very generic nature signifies that you possibly can pull it out of a faculty bag or a enterprise go well with pocket with out prompting any disparaging double takes.
Just like the Galaxy A32 5G, nevertheless, this isn’t a small telephone. At 9mm thick and with a weight of 203g, it’s completely manageable, however it doesn’t soften into the background fairly as a lot as its normcore aesthetic would recommend it needs to.
Curiously, the Galaxy A22 5G’s show is definitely higher than the costlier Galaxy A32 5G’s, although it’s nonetheless removed from a star part. You’re getting a 6.6-inch TFT LCD, which implies you’re not even benefiting from the viewing angle-boosting advantages of an IPS panel, not to mention the colourful delights of full AMOLED. However at the least right here the decision is a full 1080 x 2400, or FHD+.
What’s extra, you get an elevated 90Hz refresh fee relatively than the Galaxy A32 5G’s lavatory normal 60Hz, and it’s lively by default. Most inexpensive telephones that provide you with such a factor would require you to dive into the Settings menu to activate it manually.
It doesn’t get massively brilliant, nevertheless. Even cranked as much as full brightness, it’s completely snug to view indoors, whereas even reasonably brilliant days will render open air viewability difficult.
All that apart, picture high quality is respectable, and colors appear comparatively deep and correct. You are able to do higher for the cash, however the display isn’t such a number one motive to criticise the telephone as it’s within the Galaxy A32 5G.
Digital camera
- Completed 48MP principal digital camera
- Restricted 5MP ultra-wide
- 8MP selfie digital camera creates some anomalies
Samsung has outfitted the Galaxy A22 5G with a well-known digital camera set-up made up of three distinct sensors. There’s a 48MP vast digital camera, a 5MP ultra-wide, and a superfluous 2MP depth sensor.
That principal 48MP sensor is by far essentially the most completed of the three, and would seem like the identical as that discovered within the Galaxy A32 5G. Like with that fractionally pricier telephone, this sensor captures brilliant, sharp, nicely uncovered photographs in respectable lighting.
Samsung’s hard-earned digital camera savvy and its sensible algorithms end in a powerful digital camera for the cash. I used to be impressed with how nicely the primary sensor picked out topics, with sharp edges and a pleasingly pure quantity of background bokeh.
The 5MP ultra-wide is a significant step down, nevertheless, with an enormous drop intimately and publicity high quality, and with baggage of grain on the edges. It’s a transparent level of compromise, however not a wholly sudden one on the worth.
The Galaxy A22 5G’s 8MP selfie digital camera turned up some unusual outcomes for me too, capturing weirdly luminous pores and skin tones and an odd ‘cardboard cutout’ impact on background surroundings. The flexibility to ‘zoom out’ to a wider angle is a pleasant one, enabling you to squeeze extra into your selfie, however the general high quality of the pictures simply appears slightly off.
Efficiency
- MediaTek Dimenisty 700 fairly sluggish
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage considerably stingy
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G runs on a considerably restricted MediaTek Dimensity 700 chip and a meagre 4GB of RAM. It’s scarcely a step again from the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G and its Dimensity 720, with some parts of the Dimensity 700 truly proving quicker, however then the Dimensity 720 was hardly a powerful performer itself.
A mean Geekbench 5 multi-core rating of 1744 drops it into related territory to its stablemate, together with the likes of the Redmi Be aware 11, and lands comfortably behind telephones that run on the extra mainstream Snapdragon 695 just like the Realme 9 5G.
Within the hand, the A22 5G feels simply effective. I famous pauses right here and there, such because the odd time when flicking over from the house display to Google Feed, however usually it’s fluid sufficient to fulfill expectations at this finish of the market.
You’ll must cope with a relative lack of storage, although, with a place to begin of 64GB falling nicely in need of the 128GB we see elsewhere at this worth level. That’s a little bit of a disappointment.
Samsung has stored its reasonably priced telephone fairly updated on the software program entrance. Whereas it launched with Android 11 and One UI 3.1, it’s been up to date to Android 12 and OneUI 4.1.
Most might be accustomed to Samsung’s software program. It’s slightly heavy, however extraordinarily dependable and have full. For issues like battery optimisation and customisation choices, there are few producers who place as a lot effective management at your fingertips, even when the look of it may be slightly overbearing in comparison with extra inventory Android choices.
Samsung has additionally promised that the Galaxy A22 5G will get an Android 13 replace in some unspecified time in the future, so the telephone stays a secure wager to purchase greater than a yr on from its preliminary launch.
Battery life
- 5000 mAh battery
- 15W charging
- An hour charging to 58%
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G packs a big (although lately fairly regular) 5000mAh battery, very similar to the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G.
Not like the Galaxy A32 5G, in fact, it additionally has a Full HD show to push. These further pixels don’t appear to have an effect on the telephone’s stamina in any respect although, and the Galaxy A22 5G will get you thru two full days of average utilization fairly simply.
It stands as much as extra intense utilization, too. Operating the intensive 3DMark Wild Life Stress Take a look at benchmark for an hour strong sapped 11% of a cost, which is a decent outcome, to not point out precisely the identical because the Galaxy A32 5G managed to achieve.
Additionally just like the Galaxy A32 5G, you get a 15W charger bundled in. The mere inclusion of a charger in any respect is a constructive factor for a Samsung telephone, however it’s not particularly quick.
I discovered that half an hour of charging would get the A22 5G from 0 to 29%, whereas a full hour acquired it as much as 58%.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
You need a telephone that may final days, not hours: In the event you’re not too heavy together with your utilization, you’ll have the ability to clear a full two days in between costs.
You shoot a number of selfies: Samsung’s 8MP selfie digital camera isn’t excellent, and might present up some bizarre visible results.
Closing Ideas
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is one other nicely balanced if deeply unexciting reasonably priced telephone from Samsung. It’s the form of no frills, no nasty surprises expertise you arguably need for across the £200 mark.
Its stand out function is a 48MP principal digital camera that’s able to taking genuinely respectable pictures in good lighting, in addition to a battery that may see you thru two days of sunshine to average utilization.
The place it fails to impress is with its efficiency, which feels slightly sluggish and creaky even for a finances telephone. The show, in the meantime, lacks pop, and the telephone as an entire feels slightly huge and heavy.
The excellent news is that given its age, you’ll possible have the ability to discover the Galaxy A22 5G for considerably lower than RRP, and Samsung’s ongoing software program assist signifies that it stays a viable alternative for the cash.
How we check
We check each cell phone we assessment completely. We use business normal assessments to match options correctly and we use the telephone as our principal system over the assessment interval. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover and we by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
Used as principal telephone for greater than per week
Taken a number of photographs in numerous conditons
Examined with benchmarks and precise on a regular basis use
FAQs
Sure, you will see that a charger within the field with this telephone.
Trusted Critiques check information
Jargon buster
LCD
The kind of show normally used on cheaper and mid-range units. Lacks the punch on an OLED panel.
5G
Providing quicker obtain and add speeds when in comparison with 4G. Nice for recreation streaming and HDR video playback. Not supported in all places but and speeds range wildly.
