Samsung Galaxy S22 5G vs Apple iPhone 13: The Ultimate Showdown

Choosing a new smartphone can be overwhelming. The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G and the Apple iPhone 13 are two of the most popular options, each offering a compelling blend of features and performance. This comprehensive comparison will break down their strengths and weaknesses to help you make the right decision.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The iPhone 13 edges out the S22 5G thanks to its consistently strong performance, longer software support, and slightly better battery life. However, the S22 5G offers a more vibrant display and a more versatile camera system for those who prefer Android.

PHONES
Phone Names Samsung Galaxy S22 5G Apple iPhone 13
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2633, A2634, A2635
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2633
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2634, A2635
Launch
Announced2022, February 092021, September 14
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, February 25Available. Released 2021, September 24
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, aluminum frame
Dimensions146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in)146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in)
SIMNano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz)174 g (6.14 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+Ceramic Shield glass
Resolution1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
 Always-on display-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROWHexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard)
ChipsetExynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROWApple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
GPUXclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROWApple GPU (4-core graphics)
OSAndroid 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM
 UFS 3.1NVMe
Main Camera
Dual-12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm
FeaturesLED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Triple50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video-
Video8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG-
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update
TypeLi-Ion 3700 mAhLi-Ion 3240 mAh (12.41 Wh)
Misc
ColorsPhantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora PurpleStarlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green
ModelsSM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DSA2633, A2482, A2631, A2634, A2635, iphone14,5
Price$ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01€ 304.00 / $ 249.97 / £ 248.00
SAR1.03 W/kg (head)     1.15 W/kg (body)1.18 W/kg (head)     1.19 W/kg (body)
SAR EU1.21 W/kg (head)     1.59 W/kg (body)0.99 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 85h Endurance rating 89h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -26.4 LUFS (Good) -25.5 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 775519 (v9) GeekBench: 4645 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G

  • Vibrant Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
  • Versatile camera system with multiple lenses
  • Reverse wireless charging
  • Android ecosystem flexibility
  • Sleek design

  • Performance can vary depending on chipset (Exynos vs Snapdragon)
  • Battery life slightly shorter than iPhone 13
  • Software updates may be less consistent than iOS

Apple iPhone 13

  • Powerful A15 Bionic chip
  • Excellent camera with computational photography
  • Long-term software support
  • User-friendly iOS ecosystem
  • Slightly better battery life

  • Less versatile camera compared to S22 5G
  • Limited customization options compared to Android
  • Charging speed could be faster

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G boasts a brighter display (982 nits vs 802 nits) offering more vibrant colors and better outdoor visibility. Both phones feature excellent contrast ratios (Infinite nominal), but Samsung's Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel provides a more visually engaging experience. The iPhone 13's display is still excellent, but slightly less impactful.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer excellent camera systems. The S22 5G provides more versatility with its multiple lenses and zoom capabilities. The iPhone 13 excels in computational photography, delivering consistently excellent results in various lighting conditions. Video recording is superb on both, but the iPhone 13's Cinematic Mode adds a unique creative element.

Performance

The Apple A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13 remains a performance powerhouse, consistently outperforming the Exynos 2200 (Europe variant) and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW variant) in the S22 5G. While the S22 5G is no slouch, the iPhone 13 offers smoother multitasking and faster app loading times. The Snapdragon variant of the S22 5G performs closer to the iPhone 13, but still lags slightly.

Battery Life

The iPhone 13 demonstrates slightly better battery endurance (89h vs 85h), providing a bit more longevity between charges. Both phones support fast charging, but the iPhone 13's PD2.0 support allows for faster charging speeds in some cases. The S22 5G's reverse wireless charging is a useful bonus.

Buying Guide

The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is ideal for Android enthusiasts who value a vibrant display, a flexible camera system, and the open ecosystem of Android. The Apple iPhone 13 is a great choice for users already invested in the Apple ecosystem, those prioritizing long-term software updates, and those seeking reliable performance and a user-friendly experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has the better processor?
The Apple iPhone 13's A15 Bionic chip generally outperforms the Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 found in the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G.
❓ How long will the software updates be supported for each phone?
Apple iPhones typically receive software updates for a longer period (5-7 years) compared to Samsung Galaxy phones (typically 4 years of OS updates).