Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S21: What are the major differences?

Are the changes on the Galaxy S22 and S22+ good enough?

The Galaxy S22 Ultra stole all the limelight among this year’s Samsung flagships with its Note-inspired design and S Pen capabilities. But it’s the two smaller siblings — the Galaxy S22+ and the S22 — that make for a more practical and sensible choice for most buyers. While the two Galaxy phones look very similar to the outgoing Galaxy S21 line, there’s more to the changes made on the inside than meets the eye. Samsung may have cut a few corners this time around, but the Galaxy S22 and the S22+ bring several meaningful improvements over its predecessors. The real question here is: Are those changes really enough for you to consider making the switch?

My colleague Zachary Kew-Denniss has already answered that question for those using the Galaxy S21 Ultra and were tempted to pick up the new Ultra model. But here, we’ll see if the folks with the non-Ultra Galaxy S21 and the S21+ are missing out on anything worthwhile.

Galaxy S21 Galaxy S22 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S22+ Processor Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200 RAM 8GB 8GB 8GB 8GB Storage 128/256GB UFS 3.1 128/256GB UFS 3.1 128/256GB UFS 3.1 128/256GB UFS 3.1 Software Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Display 6.2-inch OLED, 2400x1080, 48~120Hz, 1300 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 6.1-inch OLED, 2340x1080, 48~120Hz, 1300 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus+ 6.7-inch OLED, 2400x1080, 48~120Hz, 1300 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 6.6-inch OLED, 2340x1080, 48~120Hz, 1750 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus+ Cameras (rear) 12MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1/1.76" (main) 12MP, f/2.2, 120° FoV (ultra-wide) 64MP f/2.0 1.1x optical zoom, OIS (telephoto) 50MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1/1.56" (main) 12MP, f/2.2, 120° FoV (ultra-wide) 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom, OIS (telephoto) 12MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1/1.76" (main) 12MP, f/2.2, 120° FoV (ultra-wide) 64MP f/2.0 1.1x optical zoom, OIS (telephoto) 50MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1/1.56" (main) 12MP, f/2.2, 120° FoV (ultra-wide) 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoom, OIS (telephoto) Camera (front) 10MP, f/2.2 10MP, f/2.2 10MP, f/2.2 10MP, f/2.2 Connectivity 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, ultra-wideband 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, ultra-wideband Battery 4000mAh, 25W charging 3700mAh, 25W charging 4800mAh, 25W charging 4500mAh, 45W charging Dimensions 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 171g 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm, 168g 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm, 202g 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm, 196g Price Starting at $800 (at launch) Starting at $800 Starting at $1000 (at launch) Starting at $1000

They look the same, but...

The Galaxy S21

If you look at the Galaxy S21 and the S22 — or their corresponding plus variants — side by side, you’d find it pretty hard to tell which is which. While the general design language doesn’t give it away, there are more subtle changes to the exterior. The front glass and the sides are flatter on the Galaxy S22 phones, probably taking inspiration from the iPhone 12/13 range. These refinements indeed give the handsets a nice feel when you hold them.

Samsung experimented with a plastic back on its base Galaxy S21 last year, but it thankfully had a change of mind this time, with the Galaxy S22 using a glass back. And not just any glass — it’s Gorilla Glass Victus+, the one used to protect the display on all three S22 models. Both the S22 and the S22+ also use a new aluminum alloy that is supposedly more resilient to scratches and drops (we’re taking Samsung’s word for it). While all this is definitely nice to have, it doesn’t quite matter if you’re going to use one of many neat cases for your Galaxy S22 anyway.

Side by side, you'll also notice that the S22 phones have shrunk a bit compared to the Galaxy S21 devices. It’s great news for anyone looking for smaller Android flagships that easily slide into your jeans’ pockets, but the difference in their size and weight isn’t all that significant, which leaves one wondering why Samsung even bothered going down that road; particularly since it’s not such great news for one key component of the phone — the battery — which we’ll talk more about later.

Top-class displays – but smaller

The Galaxy S22+

The displays on Samsung phones are the best in the business. In the last few generations, the company has routinely impressed us with its top-notch displays, with little to complain about. There was little scope for improvement on that front, and yet, Samsung managed to make the displays even better, offering much higher peak brightness, though only on the S22+.

This year’s Plus model can hit 1750 nits using a special “extra brightness” option that comes in handy when under the glaring sun. That's quite a difference compared to 1300 nits on the Galaxy S22, S21, and the S21+. This boosted brightness is indeed helpful in certain environments, but it isn’t essential or something that you’d feel is missing, especially considering how good the Galaxy S21’s display is. The OLED screen on both the Galaxy S22 and the S22+ has gotten smaller by 0.1 inches; it’s so negligible that you’ll probably not even notice.

Samsung, however, did have a little controversy with the display refresh rate varying from what its initial marketing material led us to believe. The displays on the S22 and the S22+ were earlier said to be capable of dialing down to 10Hz (the S22 Ultra can go as low as 1Hz), but it was later clarified that the phones could only do 48Hz at the lowest end — the same as the Galaxy S21 and S21+. So essentially, it’s pretty much the same display like last year, and even the second-gen ultrasonic fingerprint reader has been carried forward.

Performance: yay or nay?

The entire Galaxy S22 line uses the same uber-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 silicon (or the Exynos 2200 in Europe), and we found it to be fast under all circumstances, including when playing demanding games like Genshin Impact. It goes without saying that it can handle your regular apps without breaking a sweat. But at the same time, it was pretty tricky for us to tell any difference between it and the previous flagship chip, the Snapdragon 888.

Benchmarks may be able to quantify that gap, but as a regular user, the trivial performance gain doesn’t even matter. There aren’t even a handful of apps that can fully utilize the extra headroom the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers. Using a Galaxy S21 series phone in 2022 feels just as fast, and it most likely will continue to do so for at least a few more years, given the ample performance headroom the SD888 came with. Plus, it doesn’t underperform as severely as the Galaxy S22+ did in our extreme stress test using 3DMark or produce as much heat, which could be an issue, particularly on the smaller Galaxy S22.

One good thing about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is its X65 modem that supports more 5G bands and has better signal reception, which could be helpful if you’re struggling to get proper cell connectivity in your area.

What works in favor of both the Galaxy S22 and the S21 is their software support. Samsung has promised an industry-leading four Android updates for both. Since the Galaxy S22 comes running the newer Android 12 version out of the box, it will be supported for a year longer. That’s one reason to pick a Galaxy S22 if you want to keep the phone for more than four years, but if you typically switch your phone in fewer years than that, it makes no difference.

Those cameras look new

The Galaxy S22 Ultra may be the camera champ among the trio, but the two smaller Galaxy S22 phones also get an all-new camera array. The Galaxy S22 and the S22+ use the same camera arrangement: Gone is the S21's 12MP main shooter, with a new 50MP Samsung GN5 sensor replacing it to produce binned shots using a much bigger sensor this time around. From natural bokeh coming from a larger sensor to improved night mode photography, everything has gone up a notch since the last-gen Samsung flagships.

The Galaxy S21+

The photos we took when we tested the Galaxy S22+ looked identical to the last-gen Galaxy S21 Ultra and even came close to the Pixel 6 Pro – which is a great testament to how things have improved this year. It's just a shame Samsung couldn’t completely do away with some issues like the smoothing effect on faces.

None of this takes away from how good the cameras on the two previous Galaxies are, though. The Galaxy S21 and S21+ get a more modest 12MP primary sensor. It has large 1.8um pixels and a wide aperture that allow the phones to take good photos in various lighting conditions, and it even manages a decent dynamic range in low-light shots. While the cameras have their fair share of issues with getting the details right under challenging light and that unmistakable over-saturated color science from Samsung, the two Galaxy phones are still among the best.

The cameras on the Galaxy S22 are undoubtedly better than the Galaxy S21, but that alone cannot be the reason to switch when there is more critical stuff that’s not up to the mark on the newer models.

What’s with the smaller battery?

As you might’ve guessed, a major downside of a smaller phone is that you lose a lot of space for the battery, mostly because most other components remain the exact same size. While the Galaxy S22 and the S22+ haven’t gotten a lot smaller on paper, their battery capacities surely have. The S22 has gone down to 3700mAh from 4000mAh, while the S22+ now has a 4500mAh battery instead of the 4800mAh cell found in the S21+.

The Galaxy S22 and the S22+

While a more efficient 4nm processor does bring some advantages to the battery life, it cannot completely make up for the lost physical battery capacity. 4500mAh on the S22+ is a decent size, but it still doesn’t let you end the day with enough juice to spare that you don’t get battery anxiety or start to lower your usage to preserve some energy until you can plug the phone in. It’s worse for the baby Galaxy S22, which will certainly need mid-day recharges if you go even a little hard on the phone or are constantly hooked to a 5G network.

The upgraded 45W PPS charging on the Galaxy S22+ (the S22 sticks with 25W charging) was supposed to be a welcome change for users who wanted faster charging speeds. As it turns out, the difference with a Samsung 45W charger isn’t all that big when compared to the older 25W tech, with a variation of just 5%, which was a big letdown for most. At the end of the day, you aren’t getting a real upgrade on this front as well.

Should you upgrade?

Of course not. The Galaxy S21 and the S21+ are just a year old and still have the potential to keep going for a few more years. Samsung’s update commitment is a prominent driving force behind their extended life, while the Snapdragon 888 is also capable enough to support your future needs for years to come. And you cannot deny the fact that the Galaxy S21 phones are either similar or, in some cases, like the battery capacity, better than their follow-ups. It even makes sense to pick up a Galaxy S21 over a Galaxy S22 if you’re able to snag a nice discount on it.

One situation where it could be a good idea to trade your Galaxy S21 for an S22 is if you’re in Samsung’s upgrade program (offered in certain countries) or a similar arrangement from your carrier that lets you upgrade your phone every year without extra charges.

However, if you’re coming from the Galaxy S20 series phones launched way back in 2020, the decision to make the switch isn’t going to be as simple.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra

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Galaxy S22 Galaxy S22+ Galaxy S22 Ultra