If you value a more budget-friendly option with a smaller screen and don't mind a slightly less advanced camera system, the Apple iPhone SE (2022) is a solid choice. However, if you're looking for a larger, curved screen with a higher resolution, better camera quality, and longer battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the better option. The iPhone SE operates on iOS, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra uses Android, which could influence your decision based on your preferred ecosystem. Additionally, the S22 Ultra has a higher refresh rate screen, which can make scrolling and gaming feel smoother. Keep in mind, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will cost more than the iPhone SE. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Very good performance
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Very good for taking photos
Good for recording videos
Good battery life
Best in class display quality
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
5.7/10
8.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has very good overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone SE (2022) has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has significantly better selfie capabilities than the Apple iPhone SE (2022), indicated by a much higher selfie quality ranking, which is very important. In addition to superior selfie performance, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also offers better overall photo resolution, dynamic range, low light performance, and camera versatility, while the iPhone SE provides a more basic camera experience.
Photo Quality
5.5/10
8.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra takes very good photos, while the Apple iPhone SE (2022) takes poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra takes better selfies with a higher-megapixel front camera, boosted by better software processing, dynamic range, and low-light performance when compared to the Apple iPhone SE (2022), which has lower scores in these aspects.
Video Quality
6.6/10
7.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra takes good videos, while the Apple iPhone SE (2022) takes only fair videos.
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) has decent microphone quality, but the overall video experience is limited by fair video resolution/framerate, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, leading to merely fair videos. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra offers the best video resolution/framerate and a very good video software experience, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, resulting in good video quality overall.
Battery
4.9 Hours
7.8 Hours
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) has 4.9 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has 7.8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) has a screen size of 4.7 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
"Thanks to the inclusion of the A15 chip, the SE is likely to be supported for years to come. That makes it the best deal in smartphones today for folks who just want something simple and don't care about the frills. The iPhone SE is a great deal if you're more interested in the basics than the latest flashy features.. It's also a great option for people who prefer to use their phones one-handed—a dying breed, we know."
"The Galaxy S22 Ultra is a bit of a “greatest hits” compilation of Samsung’s best ideas from former devices. Moreover, it packs much of the same productivity-enabling software as previous Note devices coupled with the power of the S Pen while keeping the total package reasonable in terms of cost. The phone has more features, more cameras, and more software to put to use than many competing phones. It’s a hardcore device that nearly has it all."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone SE (2022) or the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
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Phones stats compiled
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.