Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: Key Differences Explored

Nearly a year since its release, the Samsung Galaxy S22 continues to secure a spot on our list of top phones. However, if you’re holding onto its predecessor or an older model from the Galaxy series and contemplating an upgrade, it’s a good idea to weigh the differences between the Samsung Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S21.

On the surface, the Galaxy S22 may not seem dramatically different from the Galaxy S21. Yet, it boasts several enhancements, most notably an upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.

With this in mind, continue reading to discover how the Galaxy S22 stands apart from the Galaxy S21 and whether the newer model merits your consideration.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: A Comparative Overview

• The Galaxy S22 has the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, compared to the Snapdragon 888 in the Galaxy S21. 
• The Galaxy S22 now has a brighter display. 
• Both phones have 8GB of RAM, 128GB of base storage that’s not upgradable via ant microSD card. 
• The Galaxy S22 has a similar triple rear camera array to the Galaxy S21 but with improved sensors and thus better night photo and video quality, and a 3x optical zoom for the telephoto camera. 
• The Galaxy S22 is a little more compact than the Galaxy S21. 
• The Galaxy S22 comes in white, black, green, and pink gold color options. 

Specs: Galaxy S22 has the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip

Price: Galaxy S22 starts at the same price as the Galaxy S21

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Samsung has maintained its pricing strategy with the launch of the Galaxy S22, keeping prices consistent with the previous Galaxy S21 release. The Galaxy S22 is now available for purchase starting at $799/£769/AU$1,249. This strategic pricing ensures that the new model remains accessible to a broad audience, eager for the latest technology without a significant price hike.

Similar to its approach with last year’s Galaxy S21 series, Samsung has made the Galaxy S22 family accessible through a variety of outlets. Customers can purchase these latest models directly from Samsung or opt for other purchasing avenues such as major electronics retailers and cell phone carriers. This widespread availability ensures that the Galaxy S22 reaches as many potential users as possible, regardless of their preferred shopping platform.

The Galaxy S22 isn’t just about internal upgrades; it also offers aesthetic appeal with a range of color options. Initially, the device is available in four elegant colors: black, white, green, and Pink Gold. For those seeking something a bit more exclusive, Samsung has introduced online-only color options, including Graphite, Cream, Sky Blue, and Violet. These additional colors provide consumers with the opportunity to personalize their devices further and stand out from the crowd.

While the Galaxy S22 is capturing the attention of tech enthusiasts worldwide, it’s important to mention the status of its predecessor, the Galaxy S21. With the introduction of the new model, the Galaxy S21 has broadly been discontinued in the primary market. However, for those still interested in the previous model, refurbished Galaxy S21 units are available. Bargain hunters and eco-conscious consumers can find these units by shopping around or visiting Samsung’s Re-Newed store, where refurbished devices are given a second life.

In summary, the launch of the Galaxy S22 represents Samsung’s ongoing commitment to innovation, accessibility, and sustainability. By offering a high-quality device at a consistent price point, providing widespread availability, catering to personal style with multiple color options, and ensuring the previous model remains in circulation through refurbished units, Samsung continues to meet the needs and preferences of its diverse consumer base.

Design: Galaxy S22 gets a more compact body

Immediately, the aesthetic resemblance between the Galaxy S22 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S21, becomes apparent. Both models feature the contour design, which integrates the camera module smoothly into the phone’s side, offering a sleek appearance. It’s pleasing to see Samsung continue this design in 2022. The design, if anything, appears even more polished than before.

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The Galaxy S22 represents a notable design shift from its predecessor, the S21, as Samsung has decided to reduce the height of the new phone by 0.3 inches. This adjustment was made to accommodate a smaller screen, a change that might seem minor but has significant implications for compatibility with existing accessories. As a direct consequence of this size alteration, any protective case designed for the Galaxy S21 will unfortunately not fit the new Galaxy S22 model. This means that consumers will need to purchase new cases to protect their latest investment. Additionally, the Galaxy S22 Plus model has seen a reduction in size as well, being 0.1 inches shorter than the S21 Plus, further emphasizing Samsung’s trend toward more compact devices in its latest lineup.

In terms of aesthetics, the new Galaxy S22 series introduces a refreshing palette of color options. The lineup is available in sleek black, pristine white, a new shade of green, and an elegant pink gold. This selection marks the departure from the lavender purple color that was a unique and appreciated option for the Galaxy S21, adding a touch of whimsy to the lineup. While some fans might miss the distinctive lavender hue, the introduction of the new green color option offers a sophisticated alternative that more than compensates for the loss. This new green is expected to appeal to a broad range of consumers, adding a vibrant yet refined touch to the device’s design. Overall, the Galaxy S22 series not only brings improvements in performance and features but also offers users the opportunity to express their personal style through a variety of color choices.

Display: Galaxy S22 has a smaller but brighter display than the Galaxy S21

Despite their similar appearances, the new models have slightly different display sizes compared to last year’s versions. The Galaxy S22 features a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, a slight reduction from the Galaxy S21’s 6.2-inch screen. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Plus offers a 6.6-inch AMOLED display, subtly smaller than its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 Plus, which boasts a 6.7-inch screen.

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Although the resolution has largely stayed the same (FHD+), Samsung has enhanced the refresh rate capabilities in its latest phones. The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus can increase their refresh rate to 120Hz, but can only reduce it to 48Hz. This limitation didn’t significantly benefit battery life, as both S21 models showed a noticeable decline in performance when using their adaptive refresh rate modes.

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It’s somewhat puzzling why Samsung decided to reduce the display sizes for the S22 models, although a difference of merely 0.1 inches isn’t significant enough to cause a stir. Perhaps the most thrilling development is the enhanced scope for the adaptive refresh rate mode. Spanning from 10Hz to 120Hz, this broader range is a notable improvement that promises to make the user experience considerably smoother on the Galaxy S22. This adjustment ensures that whether you’re scrolling through web pages, playing graphics-intensive games, or simply navigating the user interface, the display’s fluidity and responsiveness are markedly improved. This feature is particularly exciting for tech enthusiasts and could set a new standard for smartphone displays in the industry.

Cameras: The Galaxy S22 features upgraded sensors and enhanced low-light photography capabilities.

The comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21 reveals the most pronounced differences in their camera capabilities. While both models boast a triple lens setup, this is where their similarities largely end. The Galaxy S22 elevates the photography experience with a 50MP (f/1.8) wide-angle main sensor, significantly upgrading from the S21’s 12MP (f/1.8) main camera. However, when it comes to ultrawide capabilities, the S22 and S21 maintain a consistent approach, both equipped with a 12MP (f/2.2) sensor.

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For telephoto capabilities, the phones diverge significantly. The newer model boasts a 10MP (f/2.4) camera with a genuine 3x optical zoom, in contrast to the S21’s 64MP hybrid 3x (f/2.0) sensor. However, don’t be swayed solely by the megapixel count. The S22 features a larger sensor that captures more light, enhancing its low-light photography capabilities—compare this to how the Galaxy S22 fares against the iPhone 13 in dim conditions.

Software-wise, the Galaxy S22 shares much with its predecessor, the Galaxy S21. Samsung is doubling down on computational photography, enhancing portrait and night modes. It’s highly probable that the S21 will receive these updates eventually through a software upgrade, allowing it to catch up once the S22 has enjoyed its moment in the spotlight.

The S22 also sees the return of features like Zoom Lock and Director Mode from the S21. While photos from both the Galaxy S22 and S21 might appear similar to the average viewer, the newer model is expected to excel in night and portrait photography. For portrait mode, Samsung has introduced a stereo depth map which allows for a more nuanced bokeh effect, recognizing more intricate human features like hair. This should also lead to improvements in pet portraits.

Both the Galaxy S22 and S21 will share the same maximum digital zoom capability of 30x. Zoom Lock enables the phones to stabilize the image when zoomed in, aiding in capturing clearer photos. However, unless Samsung has enhanced the algorithm for cleaning up the final image, the quality of a 30x zoom photo may still be questionable. Here, Samsung could benefit from adopting a strategy similar to Google’s Super Res Zoom, which utilizes software to significantly enhance the quality of digitally zoomed images.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: Comparing Performance and Battery Longevity

Like every new generation of technology, the Galaxy S22 is set to deliver enhanced performance, powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. In certain international markets, it is anticipated that the Galaxy S22 will be equipped with Samsung’s proprietary Exynos 2200 chip.

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The newly introduced system-on-chip doesn’t represent a significant advancement over the Snapdragon 888, the powerhouse behind the Galaxy S21’s performance. When evaluated through certain benchmarks, the observed performance enhancement is, at best, minimal. This situation underscores that Qualcomm has yet to bridge the gap with Apple’s leading A15 Bionic chip, which powers the iPhone 13 and is anticipated to be featured in the upcoming budget-friendly iPhone SE 3. While the official benchmarks for the Galaxy S22 are pending, we expect to have those results in the near future, providing a clearer picture of its capabilities.

It’s important to remember that benchmarks, although useful, do not capture the full scope of a device’s performance or user experience. In practical terms, the majority of users are unlikely to discern a noticeable difference in performance between the Galaxy S22 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S21. This is a common scenario with single-generation CPU upgrades, where the improvements are often incremental and not immediately apparent to the average user. However, for users upgrading from older models such as the Galaxy S20, S10, or earlier, the difference in performance will be more pronounced and appreciable. These users will likely experience a significant boost in speed, efficiency, and overall device responsiveness, making the upgrade more impactful.

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The Galaxy S22 comes equipped with a 3,700 mAh battery, a step down from the Galaxy S21’s more robust 4,000 mAh unit. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Plus boasts a 4,500 mAh battery, slightly less capacious than the Galaxy S21 Plus’s 4,800 mAh battery. These reductions in battery size are concerning, especially given that the battery performance of the non-Ultra Galaxy S21 models was far from impressive. Notably, the Galaxy S21’s performance in adaptive refresh rate mode was particularly poor, as highlighted in Tom’s Guide battery life test.

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We hope Samsung has implemented enhancements, yet it remains puzzling why they opted for smaller batteries in the S22 and S22 Plus models. Notably, the Galaxy S22 Ultra maintains the same 5,000 mAh battery capacity found in its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Software Update: The Galaxy S22 now benefits from extended support for updates

The encouraging news is that users should expect a similar software experience between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21, largely because the S21 is already equipped with Android 12 and One UI 4. The S22 is set to debut with the same version of Android and an updated One UI 4.1, ensuring consistency in user experience across both devices.

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When we evaluated the Galaxy S21 series, we were working with an older software version. However, our experience with One UI 4 suggests that the Galaxy S22 is poised to make a significant impact in the Android market. This is largely due to Android 12, which introduced an array of new customization and privacy features that Samsung has adeptly embraced and refined.

One distinct advantage of the Galaxy S22 is its extended support lifespan, a direct benefit of being a newer model. Samsung traditionally offers a 3 to 4-year standard update policy for its smartphones. However, a recent press release indicates that Samsung is extending this to four years of Android updates for the Galaxy S22. Furthermore, Samsung has stated that this updated policy will also be applied retroactively to the Galaxy S21.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: Verdict

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Considering the Samsung Galaxy S22 is more of a refinement than a revolution compared to the Galaxy S21, owners of the latter might not feel the urgency to upgrade immediately. Moreover, with the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S23, it might be prudent to wait for its release before making a decision.

However, if you’re in the market for a new phone right now and are looking for one of the top Android options, the Galaxy S22 should definitely be on your radar. Alongside competitors like the Google Pixel 7, the Galaxy S22 stands out as an exceptionally well-rounded device that hits the sweet spot in terms of size, and it’s brimming with features. Additionally, given some time has passed since its launch, savvy shoppers might find it at a more appealing price.

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Jordan serves as the Phones Editor at Tom’s Guide, where he’s the authority on all things mobile. With over six years of experience in covering phones, he’s passionate about the field and has an extensive background that he plans to expand upon for years to come. When he’s not exploring the latest gadgets, Jordan enjoys unwinding at home with a good book, engaging in gaming, or dedicating time to his personal writing projects. Always eager to discover new hobbies, Jordan has a keen interest in exploring everything from the latest mechanical keyboard innovations to unique keycap sets. Beyond his professional life, Jordan is committed to learning, often delving into open-source software and furthering his education.