So I've had the s22 ultra since the 22nd. I've been comparing it to the pixel 6 pro.
My first day of full charge was yesterday and it was off the charger at 7am, apps were all the same as on the 6 pro, fresh install of everything with no restore of backups or data except text messages and call history.
Usage pattern was the same as I'm working from home until middle of March. By 12am I had 30% with the s22 ultra and totaled 7hrs 12 min of screen time.
The 6 pro would be in the low 20's percentage wise and most usually max out at 5hrs and some change for screen time.
Today I used maps to navigate for 17 minutes and the S22U dropped only 3 percent vs 5-6 that the 6 pro usually would drop in that same time frame.
The S22U also has a better 5g modem. In the same areas, I constantly had full 5g bars whereas driving through that area with the pixel would constantly go from full bars, to 1-2 bars 5G, to LTE and back and forth.
Idle drain with always on display is much much better on the S22U as well. Not sure why since the Snapdragon 891 is supposed to be more power hungry but I think it handles lower efficiency tasks better.
Battery still says optimizing in settings so it's not done configuring it but the phone already told me it will put a bunch of apps in deep sleep since they haven't been used.
I love stock Android and the pixel experience but Google definitely needs to get their hardware and software in check. I always thought Samsung would be full of bloat but that wasn't the case here. It's fast, smooth, and has a ton of customization, more so than Pixel.
Personally the fact that I'm getting better battery life doing the same tasks and routines, better signal, and less idle drain, that's what I was expecting from the Pixel if they are going down the in house chip route.
Going to keep using it for the next few weeks and I think I'm going to stick with it unless something drastic happens. Then I'll be checking on the pixel 7 pro next November.
Without a doubt the ultra will get better battery life than the 6 pro. There was no doubt in my mind. Google just hasn't figured that out yet.
I am still blown away by your navigation drain though. I drove my gf to JFK yesterday, it was just over an hour on the way there and then also back was a bit longer due to traffic, but I shut it off at one point. I lost 12% an hour after I did the math. I think Google just has shitty QC unfortunately.
However I do lose way too much battery to mobile network standby so that will always ruin the battery life compared to the Samsung S22 Ultra.
I'm hoping either Google fixes their shit with the 7Pro or Samsung fixes their low light camera with their S23, and I'll get that phone next.
Samsung undoubtedly wins with battery life and the fps. I would switch to Samsung for the first time since the Galaxy 4, except I hear from Samsung users the phone kinda sucks for taking photos in lower light when anything moves a bit vs the Pixels (and iPhones as well). I just can't sacrifice the better camera in non ideal light situations, whereas I am generally always near a charger or have a battery pack in my sling. I will always lose that memory to a crappy photo.
The Ultra is $300 more than the 6 pro. It's 30% more, and it shows in some important categories, except in low light photography.\
I'm hoping Google fixes their shit with the 7pro or Samsung their low light photography with the S23 and I'll get whichever one does that.