Upgrade Guide

Should You Upgrade from the Galaxy S21 5G to the Galaxy S22?

A spec-by-spec look at what actually changes when you move from the Galaxy S21 5G to the Galaxy S22, 1 year apart.

Skip This Upgrade

Probably not — keep your Galaxy S21 5G

The Galaxy S22 is 1 year newer than the Galaxy S21 5G, and the BeastScore drops from 80.8 to 78.3. On paper the hardware changes are small. Trade-offs to know: battery rated 12 points lower, 300 mah smaller battery.

Full side-by-side comparison →Galaxy S22 specs →

What you give up

−Battery rated 12 points lower
−300 mAh smaller battery
−0.1" smaller screen
−Lower-resolution main camera (−14 MP)

Spec	Galaxy S21 5G	Galaxy S22	Change
BeastScore (overall)	80.8	78.3	−2.5 (3%)
Performance score	80	80	No real change
Camera score	91	91	No real change
Battery score	70	58	−12 (17%)
Display score	86	86	No real change
Battery capacity	4,000 mAh	3,700 mAh	−300 mAh (8%)
Wired charging	25W	25W	No real change
Wireless charging	15W	15W	No real change
Screen size	6.2"	6.1"	−0.1"
Refresh rate	120Hz	120Hz	No real change
Peak brightness	1,300 nits	1,300 nits	No real change
Main camera	64 MP	50 MP	−14 MP (22%)
Optical zoom	3x	3x	No real change
RAM	8 GB	8 GB	No real change
Weight	169 g	167 g	No real change
Launch price	$799	$799	No real change

Upgrade if…

Your Galaxy S21 5G is damaged or no longer receives the updates you need

Galaxy S21 5G vs Galaxy S22: Upgrade FAQ

Is it worth upgrading from the Galaxy S21 5G to the Galaxy S22?

Probably not — keep your Galaxy S21 5G. The Galaxy S22 is 1 year newer than the Galaxy S21 5G, and the BeastScore drops from 80.8 to 78.3. On paper the hardware changes are small. Trade-offs to know: battery rated 12 points lower, 300 mah smaller battery.

Does the Galaxy S22 have a bigger battery than the Galaxy S21 5G?

The Galaxy S22 has a 3,700 mAh battery versus 4,000 mAh on the Galaxy S21 5G (−300 mAh (8%)).

Who should upgrade to the Galaxy S22?

Upgrade if: Your Galaxy S21 5G is damaged or no longer receives the updates you need.