Sony Xperia 5 III review

 

For the Galaxy A22 pair goes, in particular, some of the major advantages the LTE model has over its sibling include its Super AMOLED display - slightly lower resolution, but otherwise better all around. Also, slightly better cameras, including an 8MP ultrawide, 2MP dedicated macro and a 13MP selfie cam. As of writing this review, all of this will set you back €209 for the base 64GB/4GB model.

On the flip side, the Galaxy A22 5G has an MSRP of €230, which will require you to settle for a 90Hz LCD display, a 5MP ultrawide, no depth camera and an 8MP selfie cam. However, the Galaxy A22 5G also has quite a few redeeming qualities. One thing that stands out, in particular, is its FHD+, 90Hz LCD display, which is notably better than the basic 60Hz, 720p+ LCD on the Galaxy A32 5G - a device that technically stands higher in the lineup and is still a bit pricier than the A22 5G. That's what half a year's worth of developments on the budget mobile scene can result in. Impressive stuff.

Samsung Galaxy A22 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 167.2x76.4x9.0mm, 203g; Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Display: 6.60" TFT, 90Hz, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 399ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, One UI Core 3.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2, 115-degree, 1/5.0", 1.12µm; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1152p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 15W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; 3.5mm jack.

There are plenty of other interesting aspects of the A22 5G to examine beyond that as well, like its Dimensity 700 chipset, which on the surface sounds like just a slight downgrade compared to the Dimensity 720 powering the Galaxy A32 5G, yet has some particular limitations of its own, like a 2K maximum video capture resolution. But, we'll get to all that in due time.

Circling back to the important bits, just like its siblings, the Galaxy A22 5G is part of Samsung's new and ambitious plan for the best-selling Galaxy A family. The new "Awesome is for everyone" tagline fits like a glove. The value proposition is a clear priority on all of these devices.

Offering both 4G and 5G versions of all of the handsets is another way of making the lineup as appealing as possible. Speaking of which, budget or not, the Galaxy A22 5G still gets all the benefits and goodies that come with One UI 3.1, on top of Android 11, as well as Samsung's better and longer-term software support commitment, as of late.

Design and materials

The Galaxy A22 5G generally has a bill of materials to match its budget nature. That is to say - plastics all around. To be fair, that's not necessarily a bad thing by definition. Plastic has plenty of advantages in its own right. The one used here is mostly unremarkable. Still, the middle frame feels pretty sturdy and has a decent shiny finish on it.

Our unit does have a small area of the frame between the volume rocker and power button that flexes and almost feels detached from the rest of the phone. Perhaps it's just our unit.

The back panel is a bit underwhelming. The surface has a matte look to it, which is pretty nice, but it is also a complete fingerprint magnet. The surface is quite grippy, but also kind of unpleasant to the touch. Another thing - tapping on the back makes it clear there is a hollow cavity underneath. And if that is the case indeed, we have to wonder why Samsung didn't try a bit harder to reduce the pretty sizeable 9mm profile of the A22 5G. To be fair, this was also the case with the Galaxy A32 5G when we reviewed it, so we are sensing a pattern here.

While discussing the back of the Galaxy A22 5G, there is something to be said about the camera island and its design. Mostly, that it is a notable deviation from the rest of the current Galaxy A family, like the A72 and A52. The A32 has a different arrangement, as well. Instead, the A22 has a symmetrical and more traditional-looking camera island, like on the Galaxy M and F series.

On a more positive note - at least the main cameras don't stick out too bad, which makes sense on a thicker device.

The thick bezels all around the 6.6-inch display are an instant giveaway for the budget nature of the A22 5G. Given that the chin is already as wide as it is, we kind of wish Samsung just embraced the look and made room for the 8MP selfie camera outside of the display instead of digging into it with a shallow but still present teardrop notch. Still, the display looks surprisingly nice, mostly thanks to its FHD+ resolution. But more on that later.

One thing worth noting here has to do with screen protection or rather lack thereof on the Galaxy A22. Samsung is understandably not too keen on discussing its bill of materials in-depth on a budget device like this. Still, unlike the Galaxy A32 5G, which mentions Gorilla Glass 5 for the front, we have no way of knowing what protection is on the Galaxy A22 5G. It is potentially lacking in this department, which is a bit disconcerting.

The surface feels decent enough, although its oleophobic coating could be better. There was no pre-applied screen protector on our unit, which is a thing on most other budget phones and an unfortunate omission. No case in the box either.

Another thing that appears to be missing from the A22 5G but is attainable in its price bracket is any form of ingress protection. There is no official rating, not even for splashes and dust. There is no rubber gasket on the SIM tray either.

Controls

The Galaxy A22 5G has a quite standard and surprisingly rich control setup. The bottom side is particularly busy, with a USB 2.0 OTG-enabled Type-C port front and center. It is capable of taking a max of 15W worth of Samsung Adaptive fast charging.

On its sides - the singular, bottom-firing loudspeaker and the main microphone. Also - a trusty old 3.5mm audio jack. Since it often comes up - the Galaxy A22 5G does have an FM radio. A headset needs to be plugged into the 3.5mm jack to double as an antenna, as usual.

The volume rocker and power button reside on the right side of the Galaxy A22 5G - pretty standard. What is not quite as standard, though, is their relatively high positioning. The power button is easy enough to reach, but if you have smaller hands, then volume adjustments could require some finger gymnastics. Honestly, not the worst thing ever, since that way, the power button can take a much more convenient spot and the volume rockers are rarely used anyway.

The power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader. It is speedy and reliable. You can also tweak its behavior and decide whether you want it to be always on or require actually pressing the key before it starts reading.

   
Security and fingerprint settings

The SIM tray on the Galaxy A22 5G sits on the left-hand side. Not only can you buy the A22 in a 4G and a 5G variant, but, as is usually the case with recent Galaxy phones, the A22 exists in both a single and dual SIM variant. Better still, we got the Dual SIM-one, and it still has a dedicated microSD card slot. You don't have to choose between Dual SIM or memory expansion.

There is pretty much nothing on the top of the Galaxy A22, aside from the secondary noise-canceling microphone.

In case you were wondering, there is no notification LED on the Galaxy A22, but that is pretty much the norm nowadays, rather than the exception. Our unit also has NFC, though its presence is market-dependent.

Unboxing

As a budget offer, the Galaxy A22 5G understandably comes in a rather plain box. Perhaps Samsung can do a bit better for protection during transit.

On a more positive note, at least the A32 5G itself comes well wrapped in plastic all around, including thin strips stuck along the plastic frame, for extra protection.

Speaking of protection, or lack thereof, the Galaxy A22 5G does not have a pre-applied screen protector, nor is there a case in the box. Both are common with budget phones from other manufacturers. What you do get is a basic 15W wall charger (9V@1.67A or 5V@2A) and a simple and fairly short USB Type-A to Type-C cable. At last, there is no proprietary charging scheme at play here, so you don't necessarily need to stick to the included cable to get the full 15W.

Our Galaxy A22 5G unit also came with a wired handsfree (buds with an inline microphone) in the box. This is a fairly basic Samsung-branded unit, nothing too fancy, though you do get an inline button as well. It is worth noting that this might be a regional accessory that not all packages get because we didn't get buds with the higher-tier A32 5G.