It’s not officially time to get excited about smartphones for the new year until Samsung debuts its first flagship. With that out of the way, following the most recent Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung presented a trio of devices under the Galaxy S22 umbrella. Set to be released to the masses on February 25 (though it’s so hot, some orders are delayed until March), you’re probably meandering over a new smartphone purchase: Should you choose the Galaxy S22 versus the iPhone 13?
Normally, this comparison is pretty murky, but both Apple and Samsung have played it safe in various ways, making the decision a bit more difficult than in years past. If you’ve already made your mind up to get Samsung’s latest Galaxy S, don’t forget that you can get a $50 credit just for pre-ordering as a Forbes reader. Without further ado, let’s jump in and see how each variant of the Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13 stack up head-to-head.
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13
Right off the bat, both the iPhone 13 and Galaxy S22 sport 6.1-inch displays, with Apple opting for an XDR OLED panel and Samsung using its excellent Dynamic AMOLED display. This is also the first area where Samsung gets the nod, as the Galaxy S22 supports a 120Hz variable refresh rate and up to 1300 nits of peak brightness. Apple decided to leave the “regular” iPhone 13 out of fun with faster refresh rates, so you’ll only experience the standard 60Hz that we’ve seen for years.
Apple doesn’t care as much about packing all of the latest breakthroughs into its iPhone models the same way that Samsung does. But we would be remiss without mentioning that the entire Galaxy S22 lineup is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, which is slightly faster than last year’s Snapdragon 888. The Galaxy S22 is also paired with 8GB of RAM, which is double that of what you’ll find in the iPhone 13.
When it comes to storage space, Apple gains a slight edge thanks to the 512GB option available, in addition to the 128GB and 256GB configurations. Samsung only offers two storage options, and neither the iPhone nor Galaxy S22 offer expandable storage, unfortunately keeping that trend alive and well.
Battery life is going to be a point of contention for sure, as the Galaxy S22 is equipped with 3,700mAh cell compared to the 3,240mAh battery found in the iPhone 13. But the big difference here is that Apple does such an incredible job with its software optimization that the smaller battery could still end up outlasting Samsung’s entry-level flagship. We won’t get a solid idea of its performance until we can perform a battery test.
Moving to the camera hardware, Samsung already gets a leg up on Apple as the Galaxy S22 sports a triple camera array with a 50MP wide-angle lens, 10MP telephoto sensor, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The iPhone 13 is no slouch, but is limited to dual 12MP sensors with one wide-angle and one ultra-wide.
Picking between the Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13 is a rather tough proposition this year, as there isn’t really anything “spectacular” setting these apart. If you want better camera versatility, you would be better off with the Galaxy S22. But if simplicity and battery life are key, then the iPhone 13 is the obvious choice.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ vs iPhone 13 Pro
The competition and comparison between Samsung and Apple’s latest phones starts to get a bit more interesting as we look at the Galaxy S22+ and iPhone 13 Pro. The differences are immediately apparent, even before you look at pricing or features. That’s because the Galaxy S22+ features a larger 6.6-inch AMOLED display with a variable 120Hz refresh rate while reaching 1,750 nits peak brightness.
As for the iPhone 13 Pro, this marks the first time that Apple has used a display with a higher refresh rate on anything other than an iPad or Mac. Size can play a bit factor in your decision, and the iPhone 13 Pro with its 6.1-inch panel is much more pocketable and likely won’t require you to play finger gymnastics.
Coming as no surprise, Samsung also limited the Galaxy S22+ as it’s not quite as popular as the next phone in the lineup. You’ll find 8GB of RAM paired with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Meanwhile, Apple uses 6GB of RAM but offers up to 1TB of storage for its Pro model.
The camera comparison also gets a bit tighter here as both devices are equipped with triple rear camera arrays. The Galaxy S22+ uses the same 50MP+10MP+12MP combination found on its smaller brother. The iPhone 13 Pro sticks to 12MP wide and ultra-wide sensors, but adds a tertiary 12MP telephoto lens complete with 3x optical zoom and optical image stabilization (OIS) onboard. Both of these phones are capable of recording in 4K at up to 60fps, but the S22+ gets a leg up with the ability to record 8K video at 24fps.
While overall battery life is yet to be judged, charging speed is one key area where Samsung improved its Plus and Ultra models. The Galaxy S22+ sports a respectable 4,500mAh battery, but can now take advantage of 45W wired charging speeds in addition to the 15W wireless charging capabilities. The iPhone 13 Pro, on the other hand, uses a much smaller 3,095mAh battery, and can reach 50% in just 30 minutes, but you are limited to 23W wired speeds. But on the bright side, Apple’s MagSafe has transformed wireless charging for iPhone users and reaches 15W charging speeds while being extremely convenient.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max
This is perhaps the most important comparison of the year, as Samsung completely overhauled its most premium device in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. At first glance, you might think that this is the Galaxy Note, but it’s in-fact a Galaxy “S” device with the Note’s DNA. Following last year’s S Pen experiment with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung opted to go back to its Note roots and bring back the silo’d S Pen in the bottom of the phone.
Of course, Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max may be the largest iPhone ever with its 6.7-inch display, but you won’t be able to try and use the Apple Pencil to sign documents or jot down notes. It’s one area that we expect Apple to venture down in the future, as we wouldn’t be surprised by an Apple Pencil Mini of sorts. But for now, the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers much more versatility than the 13 Pro Max, and that’s even before you get into things like DeX Mode or the ability to stream apps onto Windows PCs.
Looking past the S Pen and displays, the biggest question that you might have when comparing these phones comes via the camera hardware. Samsung and Apple are both largely considered the leaders when it comes to camera quality, along with the Google Pixel 6 Pro. But both companies have used software optimization to improve the camera system’s overall speed, processing and low-light performance.
The truth of the matter is that regardless of which phone you pick, you won’t be disappointed with the results. But for those interested in specifics, here’s a sensor-by-sensor breakdown of how each camera system stacks up:
- iPhone 13 Pro Max—12 MP: f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom | 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF
- Galaxy S22 Ultra—108 MP: f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS | 10 MP: f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom | 10 MP: f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom | 12 MP: f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Again, Samsung gains an edge as it offers a total of four rear cameras versus the three cameras offered by Apple’s Pro Max. That won’t be relevant to everyone who goes for these top-line options, but most people stretching this far up the ladder will appreciate the added reach. The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s telephoto capabilities add a little bit of extra versatility as you can use either the 3x or 10x optical zoom depending on what you’re snapping a photo of.
Both of these phones are simply incredible from head to toe, and besides the usual software differences between Android and iOS, it will ultimately come down to whether you want to use a stylus with your phone. Consider these findings before you decide whether to buy one ahead of the Galaxy S22’s February 21 release date.
