Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21

Samsung Galaxy S22

Samsung decided to make the Galaxy S22 more compact, which will appeal to fans of smaller phones, while the glass back and new colors made it more attractive but also more fragile. It received some new camera upgrades as well, with better resolution and zoom. But — the smaller battery may drive away shoppers who need something more long-lasting.

Samsung Galaxy S21

With an extra 0.1-inch of display space, 300mAh of battery, the still-impressive Snapdragon 888, and planned upgrades through Android 15, the Samsung Galaxy S21 has barely lost a step in Samsung's new lineup. Its cameras use 2020 tech that's functional but not "flagship" quality in 2022, but its "glasstic" design makes the phone more durable if you prefer going caseless.

Samsung took a "don't rock the boat" approach with the Galaxy S22. It adds a new Snapdragon or Exynos processor and some fresh camera tech but lacks some of the upgraded features that the S22+ and S22 Ultra received. If you own the Galaxy S21, you should scrutinize whether the incremental S22 upgrades are really worth buying a new phone so quickly. If you're deciding between buying a discounted S21 or the S22, however, we would gently push you toward the newer model.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Specs breakdown

Before we dive into the differences between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21, let's break down how Samsung's new Galaxy S phone didn't change from last year.

Both phones have an $800 list price that nets you 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, with a $50 upcharge for 256GB and no microSD card slot. Each phone maxes out at 25W wired charging — whereas the Galaxy S22+ and Ultra jump to 45W — and 15W wireless charging. Both stick to Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, whereas the Plus improved to Wi-Fi 6E. And neither offers ultra-wideband, which the S22+ added.

Plus, both phones offer FHD+ resolution with 120Hz refresh rates and up to 1300 nits of brightness. Again, unfortunately, Samsung reserved its new 1750-nit "VisionBooster" upgrade for the Galaxy S22 Plus. That phone received a lot more TLC from Samsung in 2022, while the S22 treads water in more areas.

Still, that doesn't mean the Galaxy S22 completely stood pat. Our specs table breaks down all the areas where the two phones differ.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Performance upgrades

The most obvious difference is with the new 4nm chipset: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in North America and China or the Exynos 2200 internationally.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 beats the S21's Snapdragon 888 by 20% in CPU performance, 30% in CPU efficiency, 30% in GPU performance, and 25% in GPU efficiency. It also supports faster AI, better imaging, and improved 5G compatibility. As for the new Exynos 2200, it uses AMD's RDNA 2-based GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, variable-rate shading, and "console-quality" immersive visuals — plus the same Cortex X2 cores found in the latest Snapdragon. And a new "dual-core NPU" allegedly will augment mobile imaging performance.

In practice, our parent company's Future Labs benchmarked the Snapdragon-backed S22 and found only minor CPU improvements for Geekbench 5 over the S21 (1222/3341 vs. 1048/3302). But S22 GPU scores seem to greatly outdistance the S21, which promises good things for the gamers out there.

How much do these benchmarks actually matter? One could argue that S21 owners shouldn't worry too much about falling behind if they don't upgrade. The Snapdragon 888 remains a supremely fast device that powers most of the best Android phones of 2021, and a new calendar year hasn't suddenly made them obsolete. Still, the S22 has intangible improvements like faster AI processing and a universal modem, and mobile gamers specifically may find the upgrades like ray tracing appealing enough to switch.

Samsung also announced the Galaxy S22 will receive four OS updates to Android 16 but retroactively added a year of extra support to the Galaxy S21 as well. So that'll last through Android 15 and get security updates through 2026, giving it more than enough support to last.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Dueling designs

Samsung emulated the Galaxy S20 FE when it launched the S21, redesigning its entry-level flagship as a "glasstic" phone that prioritized low cost and durability over the premium glass look of most Galaxy S phones. It also had a flat display, which many prefer to a more expensive curved display since it prevents accidental touches. But the phone back had the traditional smooth, rounded edges you see in most Android phones.

With the Galaxy S22, Samsung actually emulated the iPhone 13 design in many ways. While retaining the flat display, the S22 also has a flat back and edges, giving it a more mechanical look and feel. Samsung also slightly shrunk its S21 while adding a glass back, making it slightly lighter and easier to hold, but also more susceptible to shattering if you drop it. You're definitely going to want one of the best Galaxy S22 cases if you buy the newer phone.

Plastic beats glass for durability, so hypothetically, the Galaxy S21 will have better longevity than the S22 if you treat your phones roughly. On the other hand, it uses Gorilla Glass Victus for its display, whereas the S22 adds Gorilla Glass Victus+. Gorilla hasn't really marketed this new upgrade, but Samsung promises that "the screen and back panel can better survive drops and offer tough scratch resistance," so the new display is more likely to avoid wear and tear over time.

Ultimately, it's a judgment call whether you like the look of glass enough to justify the risk of damage, or whether you prefer the traditional curved look of the S21 over the flatter, simpler look of the S22.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Camera upgrades

When the Galaxy S21 launched, we criticized Samsung for using the same camera sensors found on the Galaxy S20 series; Samsung relied solely on software improvements to make the photo quality better, with mixed results. With the Galaxy S22, you'll receive upgrades to the main camera (50MP vs. 12MP), telephoto lens (3X optical zoom vs. 1.1X optical zoom), and front camera (40MP vs. 10MP), while the 12MP ultra-wide sensor remains the same for both.

While Samsung has yet to send us the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S22 Plus has the same camera sensors, so we were able to test them thoroughly. Overall, we were impressed with the improvements. You can see increased detail in shots of buildings or foliage, color fidelity looks great in sunny conditions, and close-ups using portrait mode particularly impressed us.

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While not at the level of proper "flagship" cameras on the Galaxy S22 Ultra or Pixel 6 Pro, these sensors offer enough of a step up from the S21 that you'll no longer feel like you're using last-gen hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Battery backsliding

While most people can live with losing 0.1 inches of display space, the more significant downgrade stems from Samsung's odd decision to put a 3,700mAh battery in the Galaxy S22, instead of the 4,000mAh battery found in the S21. Perhaps Samsung bet on the new 4nm chipsets' improved efficiency to keep the battery life the same as last year.

The jury's still out on the effect of this. On the one hand, Future Labs stress-tested the S22 battery and found it actually lasted over an hour longer than the S21 under the same conditions. On the other hand, those few outlets who did receive the S22 early report the opposite for real-world use, claiming it lasts an hour less than older Galaxy phones and barely makes it through the day. Former Android Central writer Daniel Bader, for instance, tweeted that the phone can barely handle 4.5 hours of screen time.

We should receive the Galaxy S22 soon and will be able to find a proper result for ourselves. But if you're concerned because you're often away from a charger all day, you may want to avoid a pre-order until we know more.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. S21 Which should you buy?

Purely in terms of specs, the Galaxy S22 beats the Galaxy S21, but not by a huge margin. The 2021 phone will likely run out of new stock soon, so now's the time to snag one if you spot it at a low price and don't care about the upgrades. But you'll also find S22 carrier deals that let you buy one for $200 or less, with especially good deals if you have a recent phone like the S21 to trade in.

But should you? You're getting a new chipset, better cameras, and an extra year of support for close to "free." But you'll also have to commit to another couple of years on an expensive phone plan in exchange.

Most likely your better option is to buy directly from Samsung. Trading in the Galaxy S21, along with a $100 rebate, makes the 256GB S22 cost just over $400 with no carrier commitments. But even if that's a great deal, the differences between the two phones may not fully justify even that cost. It depends on how much that GPU boost, improved camera quality, and more premium look appeals to you.