It’s a new year, and as we’ve all been anticipating, smartphone brands are beginning to unveil new iterations of their different line of smartphones. Samsung’s first “Unpacked” event of the year has happened; where we saw the unveiling of the new Galaxy S22 Series – succeeding the Galaxy S21.
Three models of the Galaxy S22 series were unveiled; the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra – all coming with updated specs. The highlight of this series, however, is the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which comes in a Note-like design and features an S-Pen.
That said, Is the new Galaxy S22 a worthwhile upgrade? Should you stick to your Galaxy S21 or get on Samsung’s website to pre-order? In this article, we will be looking at the key differences between the Galaxy S22 and its predecessor – the Galaxy S21.
| Galaxy S21 | Galaxy S22 | |
| Price | $799 | $799 |
| Android Version | Android 12 | Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Display | 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+ | 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+ |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 12MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0) 3x hybrid telephoto | 50MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) 3x telephoto |
| Front Camera | 10MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) |
| Video | Up to 8K 24 fps | Up to 8K 24 fps |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 3,700 mAh |
| Weight | 5.96 ounces | 5.9 ounces |
Design/Display
- Galaxy S21: 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+
- Galaxy S22: 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED FHD+
Let us begin with the look and feel. There are a couple of similarities between these smartphones: First off, the Galaxy S22 still maintains the contour design that blends the camera module seamlessly into the side of the phone, just like on its predecessor.
The Galaxy S22 is slightly shorter than its predecessor, however. For unknown reasons, the Galaxy S22 lost 1-inch of its height. But this is good news if you are more comfortable with small display devices. You also get to choose from four colors; black, white, green, and pink gold.
Camera
- Galaxy S21: 12MP+12MP+64MP
- Galaxy S22: 50MP+ 10MP+12MP
Both smartphones come with a triple camera tray, but that’s all there is to their similarities. There’s a huge difference in camera quality. While the main camera sensor of the new Galaxy S22 is a massive 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor, what we got on the Galaxy S21 was a mere 12-megapixel main camera.
They both share the same 12-megapixel ultrawide angle sensor. The Galaxy S22 features a 10MP telephoto shooter with a full 3x optical zoom, while the S21 features a 64MP hybrid 3x sensor. In front, they both feature a 10MP front-facing camera.
Hardware
- Galaxy S21: Snapdragon 888 + 8GB RAM + 128/256 internal memory
- Galaxy S22: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 + 8GB RAM + 128/256 internal memory
There is an upgrade to the chipset of the new Galaxy S22. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – a slight upgrade from the Snapdragon 888 featured on the Galaxy S21 last year.
That said, depending on your location (where you buy your Galaxy S22 from), you’ll either get a Galaxy S22 running on Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung’s own Exynos 2200 chip. Both smartphones still maintain the same internal storage (128/256GB) and RAM (8GB).
Related: The New Galaxy S22 Ultra is a Note-like Device
Price and Availability
- Galaxy S21: $799
- Galaxy S22: $799
Surprisingly, Samsung maintained the same price as the Galaxy S21 ($799) on the new Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S22 starts at $799, while the Galaxy S22+ also maintained the same price ($999) as its predecessor – Galaxy S21+, and are currently available to pre-order on Samsung’s official website. And over time, we expect that it’ll be available for purchase from electronic retailers.
Image Credit: CNET
