Samsung Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13 in South Africa — price and performance showdown
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Samsung has launched the Galaxy S22 series on 9 February, and its new flagship smartphone range boasted features that will provide stiff competition for Apple’s iPhone 13.
Both companies’ smartphones offer impressive specs at similar price points — R28,999 for the top-end Galaxy S22 compared to R25,899 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max 256GB.
Samsung announced that its Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra devices would be limited to models with 256GB onboard storage.
Apple’s range is made up of the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and are available with internal storage ranging from 128GB to 1TB.
When it comes to design, Apple’s latest smartphone lineup remained relatively unchanged from the iPhone 12 range. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ retained several features from the Galaxy S21 range.
However, the top-end Samsung smartphone — the Galaxy S22 Ultra — incorporates elements of the company’s discontinued Galaxy Note devices.
Like previous Galaxy Note devices, the Galaxy S22 Ultra features a slot for an S-pen and a similar angular design.
When it comes to performance, the Galaxy S22 line trumps all iPhone 13 models in terms of RAM, offering 8GB to 12GB depending on the model.
In comparison, the iPhone 13 lineup offers 4GB or 6GB for its 256GB internal storage configurations.
However, it is important to note that the system-on-chip (SoC) significantly impacts performance and efficiency.
The iPhone 13 range packs Apple’s A15 Bionic chipset, while Samsung fans in South Africa get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.
Nanoreview.net conducted a benchmark comparison of the SoCs and found that the A15 Bionic trumped the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in two of three tests.
While the tests revealed that Qualcomm’s chip provides better gaming performance, Apple’s in-house chip manages battery usage more efficiently. It also offers better overall CPU performance, based on single and multi-core processor tests.
Looking at the cameras, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and S22+ come with a triple-camera setup, consisting of a 50MP, a 12MP, and a 10MP lens.
The Ultra variation features four rear cameras, including a 108MP primary lens.
The iPhone 13 has a dual-12MP camera setup, while the Pro and Pro Max have three 12MP lenses making up their rear-camera systems.
Head-to-head specs
Based on price point, the base Galaxy S22 is most comparable to the standard iPhone 13, while the S22+ and S22 Ultra are best compared to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, respectively.
Below is a comparison of Samsung’s Galaxy S22 range and Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup.
| Galaxy S22 vs iPhone 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Specifications | Galaxy S22 | iPhone 13 |
| OS | Android 12, One UI 4.1 | iOS 15 |
| Display | 6.1-inch 2,340 x 1,080, 120Hz max refresh rate | 6.1-inch 2,532 x 1,170 OLED with 60Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 8GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 12MP + 12MP |
| Front Camera | 10MP | 12MP |
| Network | 5G | 5G |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint scanner | Face ID |
| Protection level | USB-C | Lightning |
| Battery and charging | 3,700 mAh 25W fast charging | 3,240mAh 23W fast charging |
| Dimensions | 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (167g) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (174g) |
| Price | R19,999 | R19,399 |
| Galaxy S22+ vs iPhone 13 Pro | ||
| Specifications | Galaxy S22+ | iPhone 13 Pro |
| OS | Android 12, One UI 4.1 | iOS 15 |
| Display | 6.6-inch 2,340 x 1,080, 120Hz max refresh rate | 6.1-inch 2,532 x 1,170 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 12MP + 12MP + 12MP |
| Front Camera | 10MP | 12MP |
| Network | 5G | 5G |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint scanner | Face ID |
| Protection level | USB-C | Lightning |
| Battery and charging | 4,500 mAh 25W fast charging | 3,095mAh 23W fast charging |
| Dimensions | 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6 mm (195g) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (204g) |
| Price | R22,999 | R23,699 |
| Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max | ||
| Specifications | Galaxy S22 Ultra | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
| OS | Android 12, One UI 4.1 | iOS 15 |
| Display | 6.8-inch 3,088 x 1,440 OLED with refresh rate | 6.7-inch 2,778 x 1,284 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 12GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 108MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP | 12MP + 12MP + 12MP |
| Front Camera | 40MP | 12MP |
| Network | 5G | 5G |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6e | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint scanner | Face ID |
| Protection level | USB-C | Lightning |
| Battery and charging | 5,000 mAh 45W fast charging | 4,532mAh 27W fast charging |
| Dimensions | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (228g) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (240g) |
| Price | R28,999 | R25,899 |
