Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13: Can Samsung Beat Apple?

Now that Samsung’s latest flagship phones are available, we can start comparing the Galaxy S22 to the iPhone 13. Before we can thoroughly assess the Samsung Galaxy S22, we need to test it. However, based on the phone’s specifications and some hands-on time with it, we have a very decent sense of how it will compare against the iPhone 13.

To begin with, the Galaxy S22 features a new chipset that should improve speed while consuming less battery. Samsung has also enhanced the main camera as well as the telephoto lens, giving the Galaxy S22 a leg up on the iPhone 13 and its two back lenses.

However, there’s a reason Apple’s most cheap flagship is on our best phones list. The iPhone 13 is powered by the most powerful mobile silicon we’ve ever seen, and its larger battery lasts longer than its predecessor.

This comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 13 looks at how they compare so far. Look for a definitive judgement on which phone is best when we finish our Galaxy S22 review. The focus of this comparison will be on the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and the Galaxy S22 base model; comparisons with the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S22 Ultra will follow.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 specs

Price and availability

The Galaxy S22 and the iPhone 13 both have the same starting price of $799. The iPhone 13 mini, which starts at $699, is a more affordable option, but it comes with a smaller screen. Still, the $699 Galaxy S21 FE, which uses last year’s technology, is the only option to acquire a Galaxy S model for that price.

You’ll pay the same amount if you upgrade from the Galaxy S22 or iPhone 13 to the following model up. Both the Galaxy S22 Plus and the iPhone 13 Pro cost $999.

After Apple raised the base capacity for its entry-level phones with the debut of the iPhone 13, no matter which model phone you choose, you’ll start with 128GB of storage.

The iPhone 13 has been on sale since last fall, and with limited supply, wait periods for Apple’s phone, which is available through every major carrier in addition to Apple, are now negligible. The Galaxy S22 is currently available for purchase.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 design

The Galaxy S22 resembles the Galaxy S21 in appearance, right down to the Contour Cut display, which allows the phone’s rear camera array to merge into the device’s side. However, the iPhone 13 has the same design as the iPhone 12, so Samsung can’t be blamed for its lack of innovation.

The new Galaxy phones use ocean-bound recyclable plastics in the components used to create the phone, and Samsung is emphasising the sustainability of this year’s model. Despite the plastics, the Galaxy S22’s back is mostly made of glass. The Gorilla Glass Victus that Samsung uses on the front and back of the S22 should help protect the phone from drops, though it will be difficult to top the durability of the iPhone 13.

Samsung gives you four colour options — Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green and Pink Gold. That’s one fewer than the iPhone 13’s available colours, where you choose between black, white, blue, pink and red.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 displays

Samsung had a significant advantage by adopting ProMotion displays with dynamically varying refresh rates, which the iPhone 13 Pro models neutralised. As a result, depending on the on-screen activity, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max can scale their refresh rates between 10Hz and 120Hz. This was available on all Galaxy S21 models, albeit only the Galaxy S21 Ultra could scale down to 10Hz. At 48Hz, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus reached their lowest point.

Samsung has upgraded the adaptive refresh rate feature on the Galaxy S22. When on-screen activity is static, the S22 and S22 Plus models can now scale down to 48Hz. This should boost the S21 models’ battery life, which was in desperate need.

Of course, this puts the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini even further behind. Those phones are stuck on a 60Hz frequency.

Samsung tried to improve the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus displays in several ways. Both phones have Vision Booster technology, which automatically adjusts the screen brightness and contrast based on environmental lighting. The displays should be brighter as well, with a peak brightness of 1,300 nits for the Galaxy S22 and 1,750 nits for the Galaxy S22 Plus, according to Samsung.

We’ll need to test both phones to verify those claims, but unless they really fall short of the mark, the new Galaxy models should outshine the iPhone 13. Apple’s handset is rated at 800 nits.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 cameras

The iPhone 13 models rapidly established themselves as among the greatest camera phones, and it’s simple to see why given Apple’s hardware upgrades. A bigger primary sensor on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini lets in more light than before.

A telephoto lens, which Samsung features on both the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, is missing from those devices. Even better, compared to last year’s models, Samsung boosted the zoom capabilities of that lens. The telephoto lens on the Galaxy S21 had a 3x hybrid zoom. The S22 and S22 Plus both have a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, so everything should look sharper when zoomed in.

The Galaxy S22’s camera isn’t the only one that’s been upgraded. On both the S22 and S22 Plus, the primary sensor has been upgraded to a 50MP sensor. Furthermore, Samsung’s latest models feature a 12MP ultrawide lens with a larger field of view to capture more details. To assess photo quality, we’ll need to perform a Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 camera comparison, but given our brief hands-on time with Samsung’s phones, the cameras appear to be significantly improved.

Samsung’s efforts were not limited to hardware. The Galaxy S22’s portraits will benefit from a new AI Stereo Depth Map, and when recording video, an Auto Framing feature can recognise and monitor up to 10 individuals, changing focus to keep everything clear. That’s an interesting contrast to Apple’s Cinematic mode, which is available on all iPhone 13 models. Cinematic mode allows you to capture video with a blurred background that can alter as the emphasis of the frameshifts.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 performance

Even with fresh and improved technology, the Galaxy S22 will face a significant challenge in this area. Apple’s new A15 Bionic chip is found in all iPhone 13 models, and it’s no surprise that it delivers the quickest performance of any iPhone to date. Geekbench 5 multi-core scores showed a 22 per cent gain for the iPhone 13 Pro over the iPhone 12 Pro in our iPhone 13 testing. The margin between the iPhone 13 Pro and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has widened even more, with the iPhone 13 Pro scoring 38 per cent higher on Geekbench than the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Samsung is fighting back with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Galaxy S22 versions that were released in the United States. (In other areas, Samsung is thought to be employing a different 4nm technology, the Exynos 2200 system-on-chip.) To evaluate how the Galaxy S22 compares to the iPhone 13, we’ll have to undertake our own testing, but initial Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 testing on a reference handset doesn’t indicate a significant improvement over the Snapdragon 888 chip that powered last year’s finest Android phones.

Battery life and charging

Apple and Samsung adopted distinct approaches to phone batteries. Apple increased the size of the power packs within the iPhone 13 models in response to poor battery life in all iPhone 12 models save the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The ultimate effect was improved battery life across the board, with both the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max making our list of greatest phone battery life. On our battery test, where phones surf the web over cellular until they run out of juice, the iPhone 13 delivered a respectable time of 10 hours and 33 minutes.

In comparison to the Galaxy S21, Samsung has shrunk the battery size on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. The S22 has a 3,700 mAh battery as opposed to the S21’s 4,000 mAh. The battery on the Galaxy S22 Plus has been reduced from 4,800 mAh to 4,500 mAh.

When the Galaxy S21 models’ adaptive display feature was turned on, battery life was poor, thus Samsung appears to be betting that the higher refresh rate would help. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is expected to be more power-efficient, while the smaller screens on the S22 models will take less power from the display. The new phones will be put to the test in terms of battery life.

The Galaxy S22 Plus promises to be the charging champ of the phones we’re looking at here. It supports 45W charging, while the Galaxy S22 remains capped at 25W. Both of those are faster than the iPhone 13, which continues to top out at 20W wired charging. None of these phones ship with a charger.

Software and special features

The Galaxy S22 comes preloaded with Android 12, so users may take advantage of the latest customisation and widget options as well as Samsung’s One UI 4 interface. Samsung also promises improved connectivity with Google Duo, allowing video callers to watch shows together. This capability is also available to iPhone users running iOS 15 with FaceTime.

Samsung’s pledge to four years of Android updates with the Galaxy S22 is the greater news on the software front. That’s an improvement over Samsung’s previous policy of providing three years for its flagship phones. The iPhone 13 has longer support than the iPhone 12 — iPhones can normally run the latest version of Apple’s iOS software for up to 5 years after release — however, Samsung is taking a step in the right direction here.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. iPhone 13 outlook

The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus appear to be incremental upgrades to their predecessors. However, improvements in important areas such as display and camera performance could be the difference between a Samsung Galaxy S22 and an iPhone 13.

After we finish our evaluation, we’ll know who the true winner is, but the Galaxy S22 includes some major features that make it a serious competitor to Apple’s iPhone.