Is the Samsung Galaxy S22 worth upgrading from the S21?

Samsung has taken a “don’t waver” approach with the Galaxy S22. It adds a new Snapdragon or Exynos processor and some new camera tech, but lacks some of the upgrades the S22+ and S22 Ultra received. If you own a Galaxy S21, you should double-check whether the S22’s incremental upgrades are really worth buying a new phone so soon. However, if you’re deciding between buying a discounted S21 or S22, we’ll gently nudge you towards the newer model.​​​

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 Specification Breakdown

Before we dive into the differences between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21, let’s break down Samsung’s new Galaxy S phones no Changes from last year.

With a list price of $800, both phones get you 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, $50 for 256GB, and no microSD card slot. Maximum wired charging per phone is 25W (and the Galaxy S22+ and Ultra jump to 45W) and 15W wireless charging. Both stick to Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, while the Plus improves on Wi-Fi 6E. Neither offers the ultra-wideband that the S22+ adds.

Additionally, both phones offer FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1300 nits of brightness. Unfortunately, Samsung has once again reserved a new 1750-nit “VisionBooster” upgrade for the Galaxy S22 Plus. The phone gets more TLC from Samsung in 2022, and the S22 treads water in more areas.

Still, that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S22 is completely stand-up. Our spec sheet breaks down all the areas where the two phones differ.

	Galaxy S22	Galaxy S21
chipset	4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200	5nm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100
exhibit	6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display 1080×2340 120Hz refresh rate (48-120Hz) and 240Hz touch sampling	6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display 1080×2400 120Hz refresh rate (48-120Hz) and 240Hz touch sampling
memory	8GB	8GB
storage	128GB or 256GB	128GB or 256GB
rear camera	50MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.0μm 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4μm (120 degree ultra-wide) 10MP, ƒ/2.4, 1.0μm, 3x optical zoom (telephoto)	12MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.8μm 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.4μm (120 degree ultra-wide) 64MP, ƒ/2.0, 1.4μm, 3x hybrid zoom (telephoto)
Front camera	40MP, ƒ/2.2, 80-degree wide-angle	10MP, f/2.2, 80-degree wide angle
Battery	3,700mAh 25W fast charging 15W wireless charging	4,000 mA 25W fast charging 15W wireless charging
connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 sub-6 and mmWave	Wi-Fi 6 sub-6 and mmWave
microSD card slot	🚫	🚫
3.5mm headphone jack	🚫	🚫
renew	Up to Android 16 Security by 2027	Up to Android 15 Security by 2026
aspect	70.6 x 146 x 7.6 mm	71.2 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm
weight	168 grams	172 grams
Protect	IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus+	IP68 gorilla glass winner
Material	grass	plastic
Safety	Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor	Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor
colour	Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Rose Gold, Graphite, Sky Blue, Cream, Violet	Phantom Grey, Phantom White, Phantom Purple, Phantom Powder

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 Performance upgrade

The most obvious difference is 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 has 20% higher CPU performance, 30% higher CPU efficiency, 30% higher GPU performance, and 25% higher GPU efficiency than the S21’s Snapdragon 888. 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 — and the same Cortex X2 cores found in the latest Snapdragon . The new “dual-core NPU” will purportedly enhance mobile imaging performance.

In practice, our parent company’s Future Lab benchmarked the Snapdragon-powered S22 and found that Geekbench 5’s CPU was only a slight improvement over the S21 (1222/3341 vs. 1048/3302). But the S22 GPU scores seem to outperform the S21 by a wide margin, which is a good thing for gamers.

How important are these benchmarks? One could argue that if S21 owners don’t upgrade, they shouldn’t be too concerned about falling behind. The Snapdragon 888 is still a blazingly fast device powering most of the best Android phones of 2021, and the new calendar year doesn’t suddenly make them obsolete. Still, the S22 has some intangible improvements, like faster AI processing and a general-purpose modem, and mobile gamers in particular may find upgrades like ray tracing attractive enough to switch.

Samsung also announced that the Galaxy S22 will receive four OS updates to Android 16, but also retroactively added a year of additional support to the Galaxy S21. So, this will continue until Android 15 and get security updates until 2026 to provide adequate support for it.

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 duel design

Samsung followed suit with the Galaxy S20 FE when it launched the S21, redesigning its entry-level flagship as a “glass” phone, prioritizing low cost and durability over the premium glass look of most Galaxy S phones. It also has a flat display, many prefer the more expensive curved display because it protects against accidental touches. But the back of the phone has the traditional smooth, rounded edges you see in most Android phones.

With the Galaxy S22, Samsung has actually copied the iPhone 13’s design in many ways. While retaining the flat-screen display, the S22 also has a flat back and edges that give it a more mechanical look and feel. Samsung has also slightly reduced the size of its S21 while adding a glass back, making it lighter and easier to hold, but also more prone to shattering if dropped. If you’re buying a newer phone, you’ll definitely want one of the best Galaxy S22 cases.

Plastic is more durable than glass, so let’s say the Galaxy S21 will outlast the S22 if you’re rough with your phone. On the other hand, it uses Gorilla Glass Victus for the display, while the S22 adds Gorilla Glass Victus+. Gorilla doesn’t really market the new upgrade, but Samsung promises “the screen and backplate will better withstand drops and provide tough scratch resistance,” so the new display is more likely to avoid wear and tear over time.

At the end of the day, whether you like the look of the glass enough to justify the risk of damage, or whether you prefer the S21’s traditionally curved look to the S22’s flatter, simpler look is a judgement.

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 camera upgrade

When the Galaxy S21 launched, we criticized Samsung for using the same camera sensor as the Galaxy S20 series; Samsung relied entirely on software improvements to improve photo quality, with mixed results. With the Galaxy S22, you get upgrades to the main camera (50MP vs. 12MP), telephoto lens (3X optical zoom vs. 1.1X optical zoom), and front-facing camera (40MP vs. 10MP), while the 12MP Ultra wide sensor stays the same on both. Change.

While Samsung hasn’t sent us the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S22 Plus has the same camera sensor, so we were able to test it thoroughly. Overall, we’re very impressed with the improvements. You can see more detail in photos of buildings or foliage, color fidelity looks great in sunny conditions, and we were particularly impressed with close-ups using Portrait mode.

While not quite at the level of a proper “flagship” camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra or Pixel 6 Pro, these sensors offer enough of an S21 upgrade that you’ll no longer feel like you’re using previous-gen hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 battery back

While most people can live with losing 0.1 inches of display real estate, 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 one in the S21. Perhaps Samsung is betting on a new 4nm chipset to improve efficiency to keep battery life the same as last year.

The jury is still out on this. For one thing, Future Labs stress-tested the S22’s battery and found that it actually lasted more than an hour longer than the S21 under the same conditions. On the other hand, the few outlets that received the S22 early did the opposite in actual use, claiming it had an hour less battery life than older Galaxy phones, and barely lasted a full day. For example, former Android Central writer Daniel Bader, tweet The phone can only handle 4.5 hours of screen time.

We should receive the Galaxy S22 soon and be able to find a suitable result for ourselves. However, if you’re concerned because you’re often not using the charger all day, you might want to avoid pre-orders until we know more.

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S21 Which should you buy?

Purely in terms of specs, the Galaxy S22 beats the Galaxy S21, but not by much. The 2021 phone may run out of new stock very quickly, so if you found it at a low price and don’t care about upgrading, now’s the time to snap it up. But you’ll also find S22 carrier deals that let you buy one for $200 or less, with special deals if you’ve got a recent phone like the S21 to trade in.

But should you? You’ll get a new chipset, a better camera, and an additional year of support that’s close to “free.” However, in exchange, you also have to commit to an expensive phone plan for a few more years.

Most likely your better option is to buy directly from Samsung. The Galaxy S21 deal plus a $100 discount makes the 256GB S22 cost just over $400 with no carrier commitment.But even if it matters, the differences between the two phones may not be fully justified That cost. It depends on how attractive the GPU boost, improved camera quality and better looks are to you.

New processor, smaller battery

Samsung Galaxy S22

Upgraded camera and style

$800 at Samsung $800 at Amazon $800 at Best Buy

Samsung’s latest Galaxy phones will appeal to those who want fast performance without a $1,000 price tag or a large flat-panel display that’s difficult to hold.

Specifications are not behind

Samsung Galaxy S21

Four years to live

$800 at Samsung $671 at Amazon $800 at Best Buy

The Galaxy S22 is a step up from the S21, but not so much that last year’s model is still not a great device. And because of its plastic frame, it’s assumed it will likely last longer than the S22.