The one thing that’s outdating the compact Galaxy S22 in 2024

The base Galaxy S22 model is a decent compact phone even today, but some things are starting to hold it back in 2024. Nothing's changed about the Galaxy S22, but newer phones — even mid-range ones — are showing significant improvements in areas where the S22 appears to be showing its age.

One thing that is truly starting to hold back your Galaxy S22 in 2024 is screen brightness. Nowadays, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 have the same display brightness as their more expensive counterparts, i.e., S23+/Ultra and S24+/Ultra, respectively.

But back in 2022, that wasn't the case. The Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra boasted up to 1,750 nits of brightness, whereas the base Galaxy S22 model topped out at 1,300 nits. Samsung just didn't pay as much attention to its base model in 2022 as it did subsequent base-level flagships. And that is starting to hurt the S22 today.

Even mid-range phones are starting to catch up with the S22

Overall, the base Galaxy S22 still has a decent Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with HDR10+ capabilities, a resolution of 2340 x 1080, and a refresh rate of 120Hz. But the low — by today's standards — 1,300 nits of brightness are really starting to keep the S22 back.

Samsung's new Galaxy S24 has a new LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that can top 2,600 nits of brightness. The S23 FE beats the base S22 model with 1,450 nits.

Even the mid-range Galaxy A55 has a display that can literally outshine the Galaxy S22's. Despite the fact that Samsung advertises the A55's display as topping 1,000 nits, independent tests show that the A55's panel peaks at nearly 1,640 nits.

All in all, if the Galaxy S22's design, build quality, Exynos 2200 chip, and camera system are holding on in 2024, the phone's display seems to be the one element outdating it.

It's just unfortunate that the Galaxy S22 is from an era in which Samsung differentiated as much as it did between the displays of the base models and the more expensive Plus and Ultra variants. Perhaps the base Galaxy S23 won't age as poorly, but in 2024, the base S22 might be worth leaving behind or exchanging for a newer model.