I upgraded from the Galaxy S22+ to the new Galaxy S24+ a little over a month ago. Once I got used to the S24+, I thought that trying out the S22+ again would be almost shockingly bad. To my surprise, that wasn't the case at all.
I'm not trying to take anything away from the Galaxy S24+. It's a great device with a refined design and improvements across the board, from battery life and performance to the display.
The latter really stands out, particularly outdoors when the sun is shining. All thanks to its higher brightness and improved Vision Booster. Besides, there is a certain fluidity and robustness to the Galaxy S24+, and even though these qualities can also describe the S22+, they're not quite as tangible on the 2022 model.
I can't say I would want to switch back to the Galaxy S22+ permanently, but I am saying that the Galaxy S22+ feels surprisingly good even after using the newer phone exclusively for weeks. And if I had to go back to the S22+, it wouldn't feel as jarring as I thought. It would be only mildly discomforting.
It certainly wouldn't feel as bad as it did downgrading from the Galaxy S22+ to the Galaxy Note 10. I had to do it for a couple of weeks last year and the experience almost scarred me.
The Galaxy Note 10 is and feels like a toy next to the S22+, and the lack of Vision Booster technology and higher brightness really made a difference last year. Not to mention the older, unrefined, pre-One UI 5 firmware and all the UI micro-stutters.
Galaxy S22+ has earned learned legendary status
As for using the Galaxy S22+ after spending weeks with the S24+, I can say that the 2022 model still fits better in my hand. It is slightly smaller and might be the absolute perfect size for me. That's not to say the Galaxy S24+ feels bad in any way. I think it comes down to phone dimensions and my hand size. Those few extra millimeters gained by the S24+ make a difference, and if I were to nitpick, I'd say the phone feels a bit more top-heavy than the S22+.
Performance on the Galaxy S22+ is still decent, and the UI is responsive enough that I don't feel like complaining about it. The display, albeit not as bright and nicely calibrated or dense, still feels decent, even if a tad outdated.
I'd say that poorer battery life, the dimmer display, and the lack of the new AOD mode and Galaxy AI features are the main things holding the Galaxy S22+ back for me and helping the Galaxy S24+ feel like a new Gen. phone.
Nevertheless, I'm confident there's life left in the Galaxy S22+, and it still feels surprisingly competent today. In my eyes, the Galaxy S22+ has earned legendary status.
All things considered, seeing an aging Android phone maintain its value as the S22+ has is a great feeling. Maybe these recent Galaxy phones can stand the test of time better and enjoy all the firmware updates Samsung planned out for them.
