This video is sponsored by Casetify.
Is this really a fair comparison?
In many ways it’s unfair because they are quite far apart in some of the specs.
In other ways though…there’s definitely an argument for picking one over the other.
I’ve had the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 6 Pro for a few months now.
There are things I really love about them, and certain things I wish were better.
In both.
But if I was to pick one, which one would it be?
And why?
### Music interlude…
I know the Pixel 7 has just been announced, and we have the Pixel 6a to consider too but
I am putting those options in a separate video for you, right now let’s have a chat about
these two here.
I am Alex and I do down to earth tech reviews.
If that’s something you like, welcome to the channel.
The S22 Ultra is currently US$ 1200 dollars.
It is a beautiful device with a striking design that actually divided some opinion.
Personally, I still prefer the look of the S21 Ultra, especially in the Phantom Brown
colour, that is probably one of my favourite phones ever.
The S22 Ultra doesn’t disappoint really from a design perspective, I like when companies
try to do something a little bit different.
Unlike Apple!
And talking about something a little different, the Google Pixel 6 Pro has a fantastic design.
I’ve been an Apple user for the longest time, but this device is nothing short of
amazing.
I think it’s quite underrated to be honest.
I just love how it feels in the hand, I like the weight and this visor looking camera module
that really makes if very comfortable to hold.
It’s super elegant, it looks amazing in every situation, and depending on the lighting
you have, it just oozes class.
When it comes to Design, the winner for me is the Pixel 6 Pro.
I would even say this design is better than the iPhone 13 Pro Max which I really like
too.
And Google are not sitting still, the Pixel 7 is set to be another cracking device.
Let’s divert our attention to the Display on these phones.
And I am not going to beat around the bush on this one.
The S22 Ultra is the absolute king of displays.
I haven’t used every single smartphone out there.
But I had the 13 Pro Max and I’ve had the S21 Ultra so I have a pretty decent idea of
what a good display should feel like.
And Samsung…
WOW!
It’s not just how bright it is.
It’s…unbelievable when it comes to watching content, especially when you watch HDR content.
Indoors, outdoors, it doesn’t matter.
It crushes through everything.
You can totally edit photos on this to a really high level of quality.
Using something like Adobe Lightroom here and you can see, this is just incredible.
But the Pixel is no slouch!
Right?
It has a fantastic display too with 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to go down to
10Hz to save battery.
And yes, it’s definitely nowhere near as bright as the S22 Ultra.
But come on, this is a beautiful display too.
For the price, you’re getting a pretty decent package here.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the video, I am doing another video talking about the
Pixel 7 and whether you should wait or not so stay tuned for that one.
Now one thing I find hilarious on tech reviews about phones is that no one ever, including
myself talks about call quality.
So here we are, out in the rural west of England using a smartphone
to make… wait for it…
A phone call!
So there you go guys, no expenses spare here.
We drone shots, multiple angles, you name it.
All for you.
And all I ask in return if you like my stuff is for you to hit that subscribe button, I
am here with new videos weekly and there’s a ton of videos already that you can enjoy
here.
Sticking with a fun aspect, we gotta mention the cameras.
Now rather than tell you megapixels and frames per second, let’s just take a look at some
shots!
I really think the Samsung is just much better here, and that is obviously because of a better
hardware but the Pixel 6 Pro definitely punches above its weight here.
It really delivers amazing photographs in every condition.
When it comes to video however, the Pixel has some work to do.
I have noticed though that this has gotten better recently after software updates but
for me they are not quite there yet.
And the updates just take too long to be honest.
For that reason, it should be no surprise to you that I think the S22 Ultra is the better
device when it comes to the cameras.
One thing you might be worried about on these phones is how exposed the camera module is
on both of them.
Trust me, I learnt this the hard way!!
So this is a good opportunity for me to bring up today’s sponsors Casetify.
They sent me a lovely collection of cases here, with a discount code for you as well.
For the S22 Ultra, they have these lovely new launches here which feature Casetify’s
trademark protection.
I’ve been using their cases for a long time and you will find quite a few videos here
on the channel including drop tests.
They offer 6.6 ft drop protection, so that’s pretty awesome.
Casetify cases are really grippy and super stylish.
They are compatible with all wireless chargers out there.
As you can see here, no issues charging with a couple of different cases and chargers.
They have their own designed material, called QiTech, which they’ve just upgraded and
tested to reduce impact by 95%.
You’d think that with all that protection it would be a bulky case, but no.
They are very sleek and thin!
I love the protection at the front as well, with these raised bezels so you know it’s
not gonna scratch your screen when you put the phone down.
Despite that raised bezel, you don’t lose that swipe ability, especially on the S22
Ultra, when you have this extra little trays you can pull up from the side.
No issues using the Pen either, if anything it makes it better to use the Pen because
there’s a lot more grip now.
I would go as far as saying that the Pixel you could potentially rock it naked and still
be ok because it has that visor at the back, but the S22 Ultra is virtually impossible
to hold without a case.
And don’t I know that!
Still hurts!
I love the Pixel 6 pro cases they sent me here and there’s so many more cool designs
on their website!
Not gonna lie I love the look of the Pixel 6 Pro without a case, but if I am going out,
there’s no way I will be risking it, it’s definitely going in a case.
The protection around the camera is really good on both phones, you get that traditional
Casetify branding around the camera module and more importantly it’s now safe to put
it down without worrying about the camera module getting scratched or damaged.
Casetify has another trick up their sleeve which is the customisation options.
Yes, they offer fantastic protection but what I really love about them is how you can pretty
much find a style to suit anyone.
With father’s day coming up, this could be a lovely present.
And there’s also the fact we are going back to normality and summer is nearly here so
you can show off a different style when you go on holiday or to a festival…
Really cool.
And that’s pretty unique to Casetify too you know, there’s not that many cases that
give you so many options to customise!
To get yours today, all you need to do is go to casetify.com/alexg and 15% discount
will be automatically applied at checkout.
Thanks so much Casetify for sponsoring this video!
I love to work with brands when their product is top quality you know.
And I hope you understand that we content creators have to pay some bills too.
Talking about bills and working…
The Samsung S22 Ultra has something that no other phone has.
And it’s one of the most underrated features on any smartphone.
This is Samsung Dex.
I don’t know why I haven’t used this before, but it’s fantastic.
It basically lets you use your phone, connected to a display which will give you a full on
desktop experience.
It’s incredible!!
I could do an entire video on this and showing you how powerful Dex can be.
But this video is already getting quite long so I will leave a link where I show Dex in
a lot more detail when I am reviewing this bad boy here, the Tab S8 Ultra.
All I will say here though, is..
I really appreciate when companies push boundaries and try to innovate.
Apple!
Take notes…
Android apps ARE DEFINITELY getting better and better but they are nowhere near at the
same level as the hardware capability here.
I really wish Android apps would get even better so that we could enjoy these features
even more, because that’s becoming the main limitation here.
iOS apps are developed much quicker (I know that because I’ve worked in the tech industry
and I’ve seen first hand when decisions are made to develop a new feature, iOS gets
a priority)
And there’s a lot more variety in the apps and they’re arguably more secure as well…but
the ability on Android devices from a hardware perspective is getting too good, the display
the form factor, the cameras…
So yes, Dex.. astonishingly good.
There’s probably more to come, because it can definitely be better, especially around
running multiple instances of the same app.
Wish we could do that.
But it’s already pretty powerful.
From a speakers perspective, this is always tricky to test and share with you on a video,
given how many variables we have here.
Right, there’s my recording microphone, my environment, what device you are using
right now to listen to this video…
But we’re gonna do it anyway.
Let’s play some tunes here and you can help me decide which one is better.
I am going to use Spotify and I’ve made sure I have the settings the exact same on
both devices from a quality perspective…
And that volume is set to what I would normally listen to, which is about 70% volume, basically
just before it gets red.
Let me know in the comments which one you reckon was better.
And while you down there, comment with the word LEGEND so that I know you watched this
far.
That makes you a LEGEND!
Thanks for that!
The one thing that is really annoying when I watch videos comparing smartphones is benchmarks
and speed tests and battery drain tests.
I guess they are telling us something, but I’d much rather share what my experience
has been and what I’ve using these devices for…
And provide you with something that is as close as possible to the real world.
Clearly these are not my main phones.
Not yet anyway, I am considering a switch…But in the last few months I did try using one
or the other for several days, just to get a proper experience from it.
Consistently, I pick one or the other in the evening, instead of my iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The iPhone is the one I use at work and for most of my work calls and emails.
But when I am having fun, usually in the evenings and weekends, I go for one of these.
And performance has never been something that I noticed.
I have done testing previously in other videos with some really graphic intensive games like
Genshin Impact… and proved for example that that game can fry flagship smartphones.
But this is the first time that I REALLY noticed a smartphone being sluggish.
And you might think I am gonna say the Pixel.
But it’s not, it’s the S22 Ultra!
Maybe I am spoiled by using the S21 Ultra for so long last year, and having had such
a great experience with the Pixel 6 Pro.
When I got the S22 Ultra I was expecting top level performance and…
It’s hard to explain, and very hard to capture on video but it’s definitely there.
If you use it for long enough, you will notice a slight jitter.
Sometimes it happens with an app, sometimes it happens when trying to use the camera,
and sometimes it’s even just scrolling through the Home Screen!
Is it that bad that I am going to return the device?
No.
But it’s bad enough for me to notice.
This is an Exynos variant by the way, but my Exynos S21 Ultra was not like this!
Because I’ve had two of the S22 Ultra now because of that broken screen, I got to experience
the same slowness and it happened to both devices.
I’ve had other people saying their S22 Ultra is absolutely fine and I am talking out of
my backside, but I just can’t hide this.
Is that going to stop me from recommending this phone?
Yes.
And no.
If you’re coming from an S21 Ultra and you’re really not sure whether to upgrade, then you
shouldn’t bother.
If you are coming from an older device, or an older iPhone like the 12 Pro or earlier
then you will definitely see a jump coming to the S22 Ultra.
The display alone might be enough.
I really…
really want to love this phone, as much as I did the S21 Ultra.
And despite the amazing cameras and display…
it’s still not hitting the mark for me.
Another aspect that I think is overlooked in tech reviews is the intelligence aspect.
And before you roll your eyes at the…
Artificial Intelligence stuff that we keep hearing, let me get real here for a second.
- Honestly, I’d rather we didn’t have to hold a rectangular block with us all the
time.
- But since that’s the form factor we seem to be stuck with, we may as well have some
features that make it useful.
And the Pixel 6 Pro for me is the G.O.A.T.
when it comes to really being an assistant.
It understands even my dodgy accent, and multiple languages too.
If you’re walking, or driving, and something pops into your mind or you want to safely
send a message, the Pixel is a game changer in terms of accuracy and how it learns they
way you speak and interact with the device.
The S22 Ultra has similar features and Bixby is getting better, but I’d still put Bixby
and Siri in the same box.
They are not very good.
Siri sometimes can’t even play a song.
It feels to me like it misses the requests 50% of the time.
It could be my perception, but I don’t get that with the Pixel.
Really happy with that.
And I know this could be a really important feature for you which is why I include it
in all my Pixel videos.
I am quite lucky to be able to try these different smartphones and I am sure I will be trying
some different ones, but if I was forced to choose one Android device right now to spend
the rest of the year with, that would be the Pixel 6 Pro.
Sorry Samsung, but you’re letting me down with this one.
I always try to be as unbiased as possible, I love tech in general and hope that comes
through.
I have some great Pixel videos here for you and my S22 Ultra videos can be found over
here.
See you soon!