Which one should you buy?

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Fan Edition arrived behind schedule this year. It barely beat the Galaxy S22 series to market, so is it worth investing in the more affordable alternative? The designs may look quite similar, but some critical differences are under the hood. Let’s compare the Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S21 FE to help you pick your next phone.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S22 buyer’s guide | Galaxy S21 FE buyer’s guide

Note: We’ll include the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus in the comparison but omit the Galaxy S22 Ultra, as it’s aimed at a slightly different group of users.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S21 FE

Specs

One look at the Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus next to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, and you might not be able to tell them apart. Yes, the sizing is slightly different, but Samsung’s Contour Cut design makes its return once again. The camera bump blends into the corner on both models and matches the frame color. You’ll also find a trio of lenses on both series, covering the wide, ultrawide, and telephoto trifecta — but more on that later.

Once you move away from the camera bump, you’ll notice what might be the most significant difference between the devices — the materials. Samsung carried its “glasstic” finish to the Galaxy S21 FE, but the Galaxy S22 series marks the return of a glass panel on the back. Despite the different rear materials, both the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22 carry aluminum frames, offering better durability.

Taking the similarities a step further, all three devices offer flat AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates and Full HD+ resolutions. Once again, the best way to tell them apart is the size. Samsung’s vanilla Galaxy S22 is the baby of the bunch at 6.1-inches, while the Galaxy S21 FE lands in the middle at 6.4-inches. The Galaxy S22 Plus comes out on top at 6.6-inches, and both of the newer handsets sport Gorilla Glass Victus Plus compared to the standard Victus of the Galaxy S21 FE.

All three panels offer Infinity-O designs, with a single, central-mounted selfie camera. This time, the Galaxy S21 FE comes out on top with its impressive 32MP shooter compared to just 10MP on both the S22 and S22 Plus.

We loved the Phantom finishes on the Galaxy S21 series, and it’s nice to see a few options return. The new Galaxy S22 series comes in Phantom Black, Pink Gold, green, and white. Over on the Galaxy S21 FE, your color options include white, Graphite, Lavender, and Olive, but the matte finish doesn’t catch light quite as well as the Galaxy S22 series.

Complete your setup: Our guide to all the phone accessories you’ll ever need

Features

We’ve pretty well established that the Samsung Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy S21 FE look an awful lot alike, but now it’s time to go under the hood. While the Galaxy S21 FE can hold its own with 2021’s Snapdragon 888 processor, the Galaxy S22 series has a slight advantage thanks to the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. You can grab up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on any of the three models, and there’s no microSD slot in sight.

We briefly mentioned that the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S21 FE carry three rear cameras, but not all trios are created equal. Where the Fan Edition device offers a 12MP wide, 8MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide lens, the S22 duo packs far more megapixels. The phones swap to a 50MP wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens and record up to 8K video at 24fps.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S22 offers the smallest battery of the three. However, it makes the curious decision to carry a smaller battery than the Galaxy S21. Samsung’s small flagship offers just a 3,700mAh cell, while the Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S21 FE offer 4,500mAh options. The Galaxy S22 Plus is the only way to go if you’re worried about charging. It tops out at 45W wired speeds, while the others stop at 25W. No matter which way you go, you’ll get 15W wireless charging.

See also: The best Samsung Galaxy chargers

While all three devices pack fingerprint readers in their displays, the Galaxy S21 FE once again lags behind a bit. It offers an optical fingerprint reader compared to the ultrasonic option on Samsung’s flagships.

Yet another similarity to consider is the software support. All three devices arrived with Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI skin onboard. The Galaxy S22 duo comes out slightly ahead with One UI 4.1 compared to 4, but the difference is minimal. Samsung’s update policy actually tops Google with four major Android OS updates and five years of security patches. That means we should see up to Android 16 and patches through early 2027.

Price

• Samsung Galaxy S22: $799
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus: $999
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: $699/£699/€759

Samsung hasn’t changed its flagship pricing structure from last year — the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus start at $799 and $999, respectively. However, the Galaxy S21 FE with 128GB of storage undercuts them at $699. If you want additional storage, the Galaxy S21 FE will cost $769 for 256GB. Over on the Galaxy S22 series, the 256GB version of the Galaxy S22 will set you back $849, while the S22 Plus comes in at $1,049.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers a great way to get your hands on Samsung’s latest hardware and software at a slightly lower cost. However, $100 goes a long way for the Galaxy S22 series. The newer devices carry updated processors, better build materials, and significantly improved rear cameras — even if the selfie cameras take a step back.

That said, there are a few features that you’ll have to drop $1,000 to match on a Galaxy S22 device. The Galaxy S21 FE tops the vanilla model in battery size and display size, even if the Galaxy S22 Plus offers the fastest charging and largest display of the three.

If we rule out the similar design languages and identical RAM and storage options, it makes your decision a lot easier. Those looking to load up on selfies should choose the Galaxy S21 FE, while users hoping for a rear camera experience should drop the extra $100 for the Galaxy S22 series. We’ve given you our thoughts, but now it’s up to you to vote in our poll above and choose your next device.

Save some money: The best Samsung Galaxy deals