Samsung Gear 2 vs. Galaxy S22 5G: A Generational Leap?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S22 5G utterly dominates this comparison. While the Gear 2 offered early smartwatch functionality, the S22's superior performance, display, camera, and battery life make it the clear winner. It's a generational difference, not a fair fight.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Gear 2 | Samsung Galaxy S22 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | N/A | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | - | 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 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| EDGE | No | - |
| GPRS | No | - |
| Speed | - | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | No cellular connectivity | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2014, April. Released 2014, April | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 58.4 x 36.9 x 10 mm (2.30 x 1.45 x 0.39 in) | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | No | Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 68 g (2.40 oz) | 167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 320 x 320 pixels (~278 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 1.63 inches | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A7 | 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 |
| Chipset | Exynos 3250 Dual | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Mali-400MP2 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Tizen OS | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 4GB 512MB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 2 MP, AF | 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 |
| Video | 720p | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| No | - | |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.0, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | No | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | No | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | No | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| MP3 player MP4/H.264 player Photo viewer S-Voice Voice memo/dial/commands | 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 |
| Type | Li-Ion 300 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3700 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Charcoal Black, Gold Brown, Wild Orange | Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple |
| Models | SM-R380 | SM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS |
| Price | About 230 EUR | $ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01 |
| SAR | 0.02 W/kg (head) 0.12 W/kg (body) | 1.03 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.02 W/kg (head) 0.09 W/kg (body) | 1.21 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 85h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.4 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Gear 2
- Nostalgic appeal
- Compact design
- Basic smartwatch functionality (notifications)
- Outdated performance
- Poor camera
- Limited app support
- Small display
- No longer receiving updates
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
- Exceptional performance
- Stunning display
- Excellent camera
- Long battery life
- 5G connectivity
- Wide range of apps
- Relatively expensive
- Can be bulky for some
- Potential overheating under heavy load
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S22 5G boasts a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 982 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. The Gear 2's Super AMOLED display is significantly smaller and less vibrant, offering a basic visual experience compared to the S22's immersive screen.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S22 5G's camera system is a major highlight, offering exceptional photo and video quality. The Gear 2's camera is rudimentary, suitable only for very basic snapshots.
Performance
The Galaxy S22 5G's Octa-core processor (Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) delivers blazing-fast performance, handling demanding apps and games with ease. The Gear 2's Dual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A7 is severely underpowered by comparison, struggling with even basic tasks.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S22 5G provides excellent battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 85 hours. The Gear 2's battery life was decent for its time, but falls far short of the S22's longevity.
Buying Guide
The Samsung Gear 2 is for collectors or those seeking a nostalgic glimpse into early wearable tech. The Galaxy S22 5G is for anyone needing a powerful, versatile smartphone with a top-tier camera and long-lasting battery.