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Until Samsung’s new S22 range of phones is shipping, they can’t readily be compared with Apple’s iPhone 13 models, but the published specifications suggest the Android release has a lot going for it.
Samsung has announced its new range of phones, the Samsung S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra. Although not even close to identical, they are broadly aimed at the same kinds of users as Apple’s iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
They’re presumably also aimed at the same market that last year’s S21 range was. However, when compared to the S21, the new S22 range has some surprising shortcomings.
Those shortcomings are small, though. The screen on the S22 is 0.1 inches smaller than on the S21, for instance, while the battery capacity is also less at 3,700mah instead of last year’s 4,000mah.
Yet it’s where the S22 compares to Apple’s lineup that it gets interesting.
Specifications
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $799 | $999 | $1,199 | $799 | $999 | $1,099 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.29 | 6.19 x 2.98 x 0.29 | 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.35 | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 | 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.3 |
| Weight (ounces) | 5.92 | 6.88 | 8.00 | 6.14 | 7.19 | 8.48 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | A15 Bionic | A15 Bionic | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB or 12GB | 4GB | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Display type | 6.1-inch AMOLED 120Hz Refresh Rate |
6.6-inch AMOLED 120Hz Refresh Rate |
6.8-inch AMOLED 120Hz Refresh Rate |
6.1-inch OLED | 6.1-inch OLED 120Hz refresh rate |
6.7-inch OLED 120Hz refresh rate |
| Resolution | 2,340 x 1080 | 2,340 x 1080 | 3,088 x 1440 | 2,532 x 1,170 | 2,532 x 1,170 | 2,778 x 1,284 |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP wide angle 12MP ultrawide angle 10MP telephoto |
50MP wide angle 12MP ultrawide angle 10MP telephoto |
108MP wide 12MP ultrawide 10MP telephoto x2 |
12MP wide 12MP ultrawide |
12MP wide 12MP ultrawide 12MP telephoto |
12MP wide 12MP ultrawide 12MP telephoto |
| Front Cameras | 10MP | 10MP | 40MP | 12MP TrueDepth |
12MP TrueDepth |
12MP TrueDepth |
| Biometrics | In-display fingerprint sensor Facial recognition |
In-display fingerprint sensor Facial recognition |
In-display fingerprint sensor Facial recognition |
Face ID | Face ID | Face ID |
| Ports | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
| Connectivity | 5G Wi-Fi 6E |
5G Wi-Fi 6E |
5G Wi-Fi 6E |
5G Wi-Fi 6 |
5G Wi-Fi 6 |
5G Wi-Fi 6 |
| Battery Size | 3,700 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 3,227 mAh | 3,095 mAh | 4,352 mAh |
| Special features | 15W wireless charging 25W wired charging 30x Space Zoom IP68 |
15W wireless charging 45W wired charging 30x Space Zoom IP68 |
Built-in stylus 47W charging support 100x Space Zoom UWB IP68 |
MagSafe Dual-SIM IP68 |
ProMotion display MagSafe Dual-SIM LiDAR scanner IP68 |
ProMotion display MagSafe Dual-SIM LiDAR scanner IP68 |
Processors and screens
The Samsung S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra are all powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, and have AMOLED screens at 120Hz. The three phones are all slightly lighter than their iPhone equivalents, most notably with the iPhone 13 being 6g heaver than the S22.
While the S22 range’s screens are all the same AMOLED technology and all run at up to 120Hz, only the Samsung Ultra is notable for its resolution. Both the 6.1-inch S22 and 6.8-inch S22 Plus have 2340×1080 resolution, easily beaten by the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro’s 2532×1170.
However, the Samsung S22 Ultra has a 6.8-inch screen that is larger than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 6.7-inches, but also a higher resolution. The iPhone 13 Pro Max runs at 2778×1284, while the S22 Ultra is 3088×1440.
Battery capacity
Actual battery life won’t be measurable until the new phones are shipping, but based on specifications alone, the Samsung models appear to have the edge.
Where the iPhone 13 has a battery capacity of 3277mAh, the equivalent Samsung S22 has 3700mAh. Similarly, the iPhone 13 Pro sports 3095mAh, but the Samsung S22 Plus has 4500mAh.
Most notably, the top end iPhone 13 Pro Max has a battery capacity of 4352mAh. And the Samsung S22 Ultra has 5000mAh.
It’s likely, then, that the Samsung phones will have longer battery life than the iPhone 13 range, but it isn’t certain. Apple’s A-series processors have traditionally performed better than Snapdragon ones, including being better at power conservation.
The cameras make the difference
Samsung and Apple have different approaches to processor design, to the amount of RAM utilized, and even just different operating systems. It’s the overall combination of these that sets the two phone ranges apart.
However, there is a clear difference in the cameras that both phones have.
Where the iPhone 13 has a 12MP rear camera, the Samsung S22 has a 50MP one. At the opposite end of the range, the iPhone 13 Pro Max still has a 12MP rear camera, but the Samsung S22 Ultra has a 108MP one.
There’s a great deal more to phone camera systems than the megapixel count, but Samsung also has a better specification for the front camera. Where Apple has famously lagged behind, only recently moving to a 12MP front camera, the S22 Ultra has a 40MP one.
Samsung and Apple out of step
Apple and Samsung regularly announce their phones at significantly different times of the year. So while the S22 and iPhone 13 range will remain the main models for both companies for some time, Apple will be releasing the iPhone 14 range in September.
