Samsung Galaxy S22 5G vs Galaxy S21 5G: The Ultimate Showdown
The Samsung Galaxy S series consistently delivers top-tier Android experiences. But with each iteration, the question arises: is the upgrade worth it? We're pitting the Galaxy S22 5G against its predecessor, the S21 5G, to determine which phone offers the best blend of features, performance, and value.
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S22 5G boasts a brighter display and potentially improved performance depending on the chipset (Snapdragon vs Exynos). However, the S21 5G still holds its own with slightly better battery life and a more attractive price point, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S22 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G991U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G991U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G991B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 09 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 25 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in) | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz) | 169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 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 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-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) - ROW | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF | - |
| Triple | 50 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 | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3700 mAh | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple | Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink |
| Models | SM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS | SM-G991B, SM-G991B/DS, SM-G991U, SM-G991U1, SM-G991W, SM-G991N, SM-G9910, SM-G991Q, SCG09 |
| Price | $ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01 | € 194.00 / $ 153.58 / £ 149.99 |
| SAR | 1.03 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.21 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) | 0.46 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 249.00 |
| 256GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 289.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 317.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 85h | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.4 LUFS (Good) | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 584055 (v8) GeekBench: 3238 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
- Brighter Display
- Potentially Faster Performance (Snapdragon)
- More Modern Design
- Slightly Improved Camera Processing
- Shorter Battery Life (potentially)
- Higher Price
- Exynos variant performance can be inconsistent
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
- Longer Battery Life
- More Affordable
- Excellent Value
- Solid Performance
- Less Bright Display
- Older Processor
- Slightly Less Modern Design
Display Comparison
The S22 5G takes the lead here with a measured peak brightness of 982 nits compared to the S21 5G's 856 nits. Both phones feature excellent AMOLED displays with vibrant colors and deep blacks, but the S22's extra brightness shines in outdoor conditions. Both have a nominal infinite contrast ratio.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems. While specific camera specs are not detailed, both are known for producing excellent photos and videos in various conditions. The S22 5G may offer slightly improved image processing and low-light performance, but the S21 5G remains a capable shooter.
Performance
Performance is nuanced. The S22 5G utilizes either the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while the S21 5G uses either the Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888. The Snapdragon variants of both phones generally outperform their Exynos counterparts. The S22's newer chip offers a slight edge in raw processing power, but real-world differences are often minimal.
Battery Life
The S21 5G edges out the S22 5G in battery endurance, boasting an 85h rating compared to the S22's 85h (though this can vary significantly based on usage and chipset). Both phones support 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is ideal for users who prioritize a vibrant display, the latest processor (especially the Snapdragon variant), and a slightly more modern design. The Galaxy S21 5G is a great pick for those seeking excellent value, solid performance, and longer battery life without breaking the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G worth upgrading from the S21 5G?
It depends on your priorities. If you want the brightest display and potentially faster performance, the S22 is a good upgrade. However, the S21 5G remains a fantastic phone, especially considering its lower price.
❓ Which chipset is better in the S22 5G, Exynos or Snapdragon?
Generally, the Snapdragon variant of the S22 5G offers better performance and efficiency compared to the Exynos variant. However, both are capable processors.