The Samsung Unpacked event revealed a number of new devices, namely a new iteration of its flagship Galaxy series of phones, the Galaxy S22. These new phones are set to release on February 25th and become the bleeding edge of Samsung’s smartphone lineup. Naturally, we’re curious to know how these stack up against Apple’s iPhones, so we’ve collected some of the most relevant features to show you how they stack up against the iPhone 13 lineup on paper.
The standard iPhone 13 and its variants came out last September and started at $699.99 for the 13 Mini, reaching all the way up to $1,099.99 for the 13 Pro Max. The Galaxy S22 and its other variants are set to release later this month and have a price point starting at $799.99 for the standard S22 and $1,199 for the S22 Ultra, with its larger screen and more powerful camera. It should be noted that all the prices listed here are for the unlocked model.
The phones compared
When compared against last year’s model, the S22 appears to compromise with some of the features in an effort to retain a competitive price point. The S22 has a slightly smaller screen, a lower capacity battery, and a 10MP telephoto lens compared to the 64MP of the S21. There are some improvements, too, however. The rear camera has been enhanced with a 50MP wide-angle lens, which is also capable of capturing 8K footage at 24 FPS. The S22 also brings Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, allowing for more stable multi-point connections with supported devices.
All the phones in Samsung’s new lineup are more distinct from each other than the S21 lineup but still share some common elements. They all use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, can capture 8K video at 24FPS, and have a display capable of up to a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung S22 Plus is a more robust device when compared to the standard S22. The S22 Plus has a larger 6.6-inch screen, a bigger battery, and features Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. The larger screen is sure to lend itself to specific applications, but it’s worth noting that while the screen is larger, it still has the same 2340 x 1080 resolution as the S22. It also uses the same camera array as the standard S22.
The S22 Ultra is likely the most distinct of this lineup, and not just because of its size. The 6.8-inch screen features a 3088 x 1440 resolution, a higher fidelity than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The Ultra also features a larger battery and replaces the 50MP wide-angle lens of its smaller models with a 108MP camera. The 128GB model of the S22 Ultra features the same 8GB of RAM as the S22 and S22 Plus, but the higher capacity models include 12GB of RAM.
By the numbers
Based on specs alone, Samsung’s new lineup is giving Apple some serious competition. While Apple phones are still outpacing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with their A15 CPUs and, in some cases, providing a higher resolution display, Samsung has delivered a more impressive array of cameras, bigger batteries, and more powerful hardware. However, we won’t be able to provide an informed recommendation until we’ve pit these phones against each other in a bench test.
For a more thorough breakdown, we’ve collected all the relevant specs on Samsung’s new phones and compared them against their closest analog in iPhone 13 lineup in the chart below.
The S22 lineup vs. iPhone 13
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S22 | iPhone 13 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus | iPhone 13 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Samsung Galaxy S22 | iPhone 13 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus | iPhone 13 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
| OS | Android 11 (One UI) | Android 12 | iOS 15 | Android 12 | iOS 15 | Android 12 | iOS 15 |
| Display | 6.2-inch OLED | 6.1-inch AMOLED | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.6-inch AMOLED | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.8-inch AMOLED | 6.7-inch OLED |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2340 x 1080 | 2532 x 1170 | 2340 x 1080 | 2532 x 1170 | 3088 x 1440 | 2778 x 1284 |
| Max. refresh rate | up to 120Hz | up to 120Hz | up to 60Hz | up to 120Hz | up to 120Hz | up to 120Hz | up to 120Hz |
| Dimensions (mm) | 71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9 | 70.6 x 146 x 7.6 | 71.5 x 146.7 x 7.65 | 75.8 x 157.4 x 7.6 | 71.5 x 146.7 x 7.65 | 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9 | 78.1 x 160.8 x 7.65 |
| Weight | 171g (6.03 ounces) | 0 | 174g (6.14 ounces) | 196g (6.91 ounces) | 204g (7.19 ounces) | 229g (8.07 ounces) | 240g (8.46 ounces) |
| Battery Capacity | 4,000mAh | 3,700mah | 3,227mah | 4,500mah | 3,095mah | 5,000mah | 4,352mah |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 (in US) | 4nm CPU | A15 | 4nm CPU | A15 | 4nm CPU | A15 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 4GB | 8GB | 6GB | 8GB, 12GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Ports | USB-C charging port | USB-C | Lightning port | USB-C | Lightning port | USB-C | Lightning port |
| Rear camera | 12MP (f/1.8) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0) telephoto | 50MP (f/1.8) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) telephoto | 12MP (f/1.6) wide, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide | 50MP (f/1.8) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4) telephoto | 12MP (f/1.5) wide, 12MP (f/1.8) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto | 108MP (f/2.2) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 10MP (f2.4 / f4.9) telephoto | 12MP (f/1.5) wide, 12MP (f/1.8) ultrawide, 12MP (f/2.8) telephoto |
| Front camera | 10MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) | 12MP (f/2.2) | 10MP (f/2.2) | 12MP (f/2.2) | 40MP (f2.2) | 12MP (f/2.2) |
| Front video | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS |
| Rear video | 8K @ 24FPS, 4K @ 60FPS | 8K @ 24FPS, 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 8K @ 24FPS, 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS | 8K @ 24FPS, 4K @ 60FPS | 4K @ 60FPS |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint, facial recognition | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, facial recognition | Face ID | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, Facial recognition | Face ID | Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, facial recognition | Face ID |
| Water and dust protection | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Wireless | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E (6Ghz), Bluetooth 5.2 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E (6Ghz), Bluetooth 5.2 | 5G mmWave / sub-6GHz, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Starting price | $799 | $799 | $799 | $999 | $999 | $1,199.00 | $1,099 |
| Wireless charging? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you’re curious about what else Samsung has in store, make sure to check out everything announced at Samsung Unpacked.
Correction February 9, 4:32PM ET: An earlier version of this story claimed that the display on the iPhone 13 supported a refresh rate of 120Hz. The refresh rate for the displays on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini are limited to 60Hz. We regret the error.
