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Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Which should you buy?
Samsung’s 2022 flagship Galaxy S22 series offers three phones — the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S22 Plus, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to jump into the debate of Samsung vs Apple. Both ranges rely on the tried and tested, at least in the case of the smaller S22 and S22 Plus, but with enough upgrades across the board to make them compelling buys. How did they compare with Apple’s iPhone 13 handsets? Let’s take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13.
In this comparison, we’ll pit the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus against the iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro. With the Galaxy S22 Ultra separating itself from the series even further with a new design and S Pen support, it gets its own comparison with the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Design and display
The iPhone 13’s design language stays the same as its predecessor’s, but with some refining a keen-eyed observer might catch at first glance. The rear cameras of the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are positioned diagonally, a slight change from the vertical placement before. The notch is 20% smaller, but without affecting all the Face ID hardware that goes into it.
The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini have more in common than just the camera placement. Apart from the different display sizes and battery capacities, the rest remain identical. The iPhone 13 Mini and standard iPhone 13 come with 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch OLED displays, respectively, with a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple is saving faster 120Hz refresh rates for its Pro models, which you get with the 6.1-inch OLED screen of the iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone 13 Pro borrows the same triple rear camera setup from the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The story stays the same when we look at the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. It’s nearly impossible to differentiate between the smaller Galaxy S22 models, compared to their predecessors, unless you’re incredibly familiar with the many colorways of the phones. The Contour Cut camera bump returns and houses the upgraded triple camera setup.
You’ll need to pick up the phone to notice a difference. After using a “glasstic” back with the base Galaxy S21, metal and glass are the order of the day again with the newer phone. This makes the Galaxy S22 and the S22 Plus even closer than before, and Samsung managed to make the build quality upgrade without changing the launch price.
Samsung’s display prowess shines through with every phone, and its latest releases are no different. But, there are no surprises with the display. The 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch Super AMOLED displays of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus are as impressive as they’ve ever been on a Samsung flagship. The Full HD+ screens have a 120Hz refresh rate, giving the Galaxy S22 a leg up over the similarly priced iPhone 13 and 13 Mini.
The Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are very similar in size, while the Galaxy S22 Plus is the biggest of the lot with its much larger display. If you want a genuinely compact smartphone, though, the iPhone 13 Mini is your best bet, not only compared to the Galaxy S22 series but the Android world in general.
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Hardware and cameras
Powering the Samsung Galaxy S22 and the S22 Plus is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, or the Samsung Exynos 2200 in selected global markets. Both phones have 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage built-in as standard but can go up to 256GB. You’ll have to splurge on the Galaxy S22 Ultra for more RAM, but the hardware of the smaller phones will also give you an incredibly smooth performance.
On the other hand, Apple’s A15 Bionic processor under the hood of the iPhone 13 is a powerhouse. Tests show that the Apple processor benchmarks better than Qualcomm’s in certain aspects. Benchmark tests aside, real-world performance will be impressive no matter your phone. The Samsungs have more RAM, but the Apple devices offer higher storage (512GB) versions if you want them.
The Galaxy S22 has a 3,700mAh battery, while the larger size lets Samsung pack a larger 4,500mAh unit into the S22 Plus. The Ultra and Plus models offer an upgraded maximum charging speed of 45W, but you can charge the regular Galaxy S22 at 25W, while all three support 15W wireless charging. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box, so you’ll need to pick up a suitable charger to take advantage of its fast-charging capabilities.
Apple doesn’t officially declare its phones’ battery capacities, but we know that every phone in the iPhone 13 series comes with larger batteries than its predecessors. The iPhone 13 Mini has the smallest battery but offers solid battery life, while the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are even better.
All three phones also have wireless charging support, 15W with a MagSafe charger and 7.5W with standard Qi chargers. You get some fast charging capabilities with a compatible charger — again, there are no chargers in the box — but it’s far from the quickest charging we’ve seen.
The cameras are usually the biggest selling point of Apple and Samsung smartphones. The smaller Galaxy S22 siblings don’t get the impressive camera array of the Ultra, but there are some significant upgrades here that make them better than recent non-Ultra Galaxy S phones. You’ll find a 50MP primary camera, along with a 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultrawide shooter. The selfie camera gets upgraded to 40MP, another jump from the 10MP sensors we’ve seen in previous years.
The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini have a dual-camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle and 12MP ultrawide lens. If you want a telephoto lens, the iPhone 13 Pro tacks on a 12MP one. Don’t let the numbers fool you, though. All three iPhones were among the best camera phones around. So were the Galaxy S22 series.
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Specs
| Galaxy S22 | Galaxy S22 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
Display | Galaxy S22 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat display 19.5:9 aspect ratio FHD+ resolution (2,340 x 1,080) 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (10Hz to 120Hz) 240Hz touch sampling rate | Galaxy S22 Plus 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED Flat display 19.5:9 aspect ratio FHD+ resolution (2,340 x 1,080) 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (10Hz to 120Hz) 240Hz touch sampling rate |
Processor | Galaxy S22 US: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Global: Exynos 2200 | Galaxy S22 Plus US: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Global: Exynos 2200 |
RAM | Galaxy S22 8GB | Galaxy S22 Plus 8GB |
Storage | Galaxy S22 128GB or 256GB No microSD card support | Galaxy S22 Plus 128GB or 256GB No microSD card support |
Power | Galaxy S22 3,700mAh battery 25W wired charging 15W wireless charging No charger in box | Galaxy S22 Plus 4,500mAh battery 45W wired charging 15W wireless charging No charger in box |
Cameras | Galaxy S22 REAR: - 50MP wide (1.0μm, ƒ1.8, 23mm, 85-degree FoV) - 12MP ultrawide (1.4μm, ƒ2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FoV) - 10MP telephoto (1.0μm, ƒ2.4, 69mm, 36-degree FoV, 3x optical zoom) FRONT: - 40MP wide (ƒ2.2, 23mm, 80-degree FoV) | Galaxy S22 Plus REAR: - 50MP wide (1.0μm, ƒ1.8, 23mm, 85-degree FoV) - 12MP ultrawide (1.4μm, ƒ2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FoV) - 10MP telephoto (1.0μm, ƒ2.4, 69mm, 36-degree FoV, 3x optical zoom) FRONT: - 40MP wide (ƒ2.2, 23mm, 80-degree FoV) |
Video | Galaxy S22 REAR: - 8K at 24fps (main lens only) - 4K at 60fps (all lenses) FRONT: - 4K at 60fps | Galaxy S22 Plus REAR: - 8K at 24fps (main lens only) - 4K at 60fps (all lenses) FRONT: - 4K at 60fps |
Audio | Galaxy S22 Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos support | Galaxy S22 Plus Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos support |
Connectivity | Galaxy S22 5G (mmWave + sub-6GHz) Wi-Fi 6 (ax), Dual Band Bluetooth 5.2 NFC support | Galaxy S22 Plus 5G (mmWave + sub-6GHz) Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz) Bluetooth 5.2 NFC support Ultra-wideband support (UWB) |
Security | Galaxy S22 Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor 4 x 9mm size | Galaxy S22 Plus Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor 4 x 9mm size |
Software | Galaxy S22 Android 12 One UI 4.1 | Galaxy S22 Plus Android 12 One UI 4.1 |
S Pen support | Galaxy S22 No | Galaxy S22 Plus No |
Materials | Galaxy S22 Gorilla Glass Victus Plus front and back Armour Aluminum frame | Galaxy S22 Plus Gorilla Glass Victus Plus front and back Armour Aluminum frame |
Durability | Galaxy S22 IP68 certified | Galaxy S22 Plus IP68 certified |
Dimensions and weight | Galaxy S22 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm 168g | Galaxy S22 Plus 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm 196g |
Colors | Galaxy S22 Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Pink Gold Online exclusives: Cream, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet | Galaxy S22 Plus Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, Pink Gold Online exclusives: Cream, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet |
| iPhone 13 Mini | iPhone 13 | iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
Display | iPhone 13 Mini 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,340 x 1,080 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front | iPhone 13 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,532 x 1,170 resolution HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front | iPhone 13 Pro 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,532 x 1,170 resolution ProMotion 120Hz HDR, True Tone Wide color (P3) 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio 1,000 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Ceramic Shield front |
Processor | iPhone 13 Mini Apple A15 Bionic | iPhone 13 Apple A15 Bionic | iPhone 13 Pro Apple A15 Bionic |
Storage | iPhone 13 Mini 128 / 256 / 512GB | iPhone 13 128 / 256 / 512GB | iPhone 13 Pro 128 / 256 / 512GB and 1TB |
Battery | iPhone 13 Mini Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: Wireless charging up to 15W Magnet array Alignment magnet Accessory Identification NFC Magnetometer | iPhone 13 Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: Wireless charging up to 15W Magnet array Alignment magnet Accessory Identification NFC Magnetometer | iPhone 13 Pro Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately) MagSafe: Wireless charging up to 15W Magnet array Alignment magnet Accessory Identification NFC Magnetometer |
Cameras | iPhone 13 Mini Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, OIS, 7-element lens -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 Video: HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 30fps 4K video at 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps 1080p HD video at 30fps or 60fps 720p HD video at 30fps OIS for video (Wide) 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 3x Front: -TrueDepth 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 | iPhone 13 Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.6, OIS, 7-element lens -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/2.4, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x, Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 Video: HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 30fps 4K video at 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps 1080p HD video at 30fps or 60fps 720p HD video at 30fps OIS for video (Wide) 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 3x Front: -TrueDepth 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 | iPhone 13 Pro Rear: -Wide-angle 12MP, ƒ/1.5, dual OIS, 7-element lens, 100% Focus Pixels, Night Mode -Ultra-wide 12MP, ƒ/1.8, 120° field of view, 5-element lens, lens correction, Night Mode -Telephoto 12MP, ƒ/2.8, dual OIS, 6-element lens 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 6x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 15x, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3, Apple ProRAW Video: HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 60fps 4K video at 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps 1080p HD video at 30fps or 60fps 720p HD video at 30fps OIS for video (Wide) 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 6x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 9x Front: -TrueDepth 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 |
Connectivity | iPhone 13 Mini 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation | iPhone 13 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation | iPhone 13 Pro 5G (sub‑6GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 5 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness NFC Express Cards with power reserve GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou Digital compass Wi‑Fi Cellular iBeacon microlocation |
Sensors | iPhone 13 Mini Face ID Barometer Three‑axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor | iPhone 13 Face ID Barometer Three‑axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor | iPhone 13 Pro Face ID LiDAR Scanner Barometer Three‑axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor |
Software | iPhone 13 Mini iOS 15 | iPhone 13 iOS 15 | iPhone 13 Pro iOS 15 |
Durability | iPhone 13 Mini IP68 | iPhone 13 IP68 | iPhone 13 Pro IP68 |
Dimensions and weight | iPhone 13 Mini 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65mm 141g | iPhone 13 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm 174g | iPhone 13 Pro 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65mm 204g |
Colors | iPhone 13 Mini Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red | iPhone 13 Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red | iPhone 13 Pro Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Sierra Blue |
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Price and colors
- Samsung Galaxy S22 (8GB/128GB): $799
- Samsung Galaxy S22 (8GB/256GB): $849
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus (8GB/128GB): $999
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus (8GB/256GB): $1,049
- iPhone 13 Mini: $699 (128GB)/ $799 (256GB)/ $999 (512GB)
- iPhone 13: $799 (128GB)/ $899 (256GB)/ $1,099 (512GB)
- iPhone 13 Pro: $999 (128GB)/ $1,099 (256GB)/ $1,299 (512GB)/ $1,499 (1TB)
The Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 13 started at the same price, but Apple charged extra when doubling the storage. Similarly, the Galaxy S22 Plus and iPhone 13 Pro started at $999, but while you got double the storage with the S22 Plus for $50 more, it was $100 more with the iPhone. The iPhones give more storage, going up to 512GB in the case of the regular models and 1TB with the Pro.
Apple charges more than Samsung if you double the storage.
Samsung had plenty of colorways on offer with the two phones. Standard options include Phantom Black, Phantom White, Pink Gold, and Green. The two-toned Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, and Cream, were exclusively available directly from Samsung’s online store. The iPhones didn’t have as many options, but flashy choices were available. The iPhone 13 Mini and standard 13 can be found in Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red, while the Pro has Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Sierra Blue as its four options.
Impressive camera setup
Unrivaled software support
Powerful camera package
Top-notch performance
Gorgeous screen
Solid performance
Compact form factor
Solid cameras and video
Unparalleled performance
Solid camera and video experience
Robust and consistent camera setup
Unmatched software support
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Which should you buy?
When considering any Android vs iOS phone, the choice always boils down to which ecosystem you are already in. If you have an Apple Watch, an iPad, and a ton of official accessories, you probably aren’t thinking about switching over any time soon. But even for new buyers, there’s plenty that makes the iPhone 13 a good buy.
The Galaxy S22 is the better buy over the iPhone 13, though the Mini is great for small phone fans.
You’ll want to get an iPhone 13 Pro (or the Pro Max if you want a huge display) for the best features. It has a triple camera setup, a 120Hz display refresh rate, and up to 1TB of storage. Apart from the extra telephoto lens and the faster refresh rate, you get everything else with the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. These are all excellent phones. The relatively lower starting prices of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini make them compelling phones.
A big plus for the iPhones is software support. Apple has supported its phones for years with major OS updates. Samsung is getting close with its plan to support the S22 series for four major OS updates, but Apple still has the Android phones beat in this regard.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus see valuable upgrades from their predecessors, while the price stays the same. The Galaxy S22, in particular, gets a new build, and both phones have an upgraded camera setup. It’s not as good as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but these phones are significantly cheaper than the highest-end iteration.
Comparing these phones, the Galaxy S22 seems like the better buy over the iPhone 13. It comes with a better display, larger battery, and better camera specs. On paper, at least. And both start at the same price point. The iPhone 13 Mini makes a case for itself by being the smallest of the lot. Plenty of people want a compact phone. It’s more of a toss-up between the identically priced Galaxy S22 Plus and the iPhone 13 Pro. The latter’s features bringing it more in line with its Android counterpart.