If you prioritize a more affordable option, the Samsung Galaxy S21 offers a solid balance between performance and price. However, if camera quality is critical for you and you're willing to invest more, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a significantly better camera system, including more megapixels on both the main and telephoto lenses and higher photo and video quality ratings. The S22 Ultra also comes with a larger, higher-resolution screen that curves at the edges, and provides a higher peak brightness for better visibility in various lighting conditions, which can be particularly important if you often use your phone outdoors. Additionally, the S22 Ultra offers a slightly longer battery life and a more recent processor for potentially smoother performance. Keep in mind that both phones have the same storage capacity, run on Android, and lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, but only the S22 Ultra comes with a built-in stylus and a glass back compared to the plastic back of the S21. 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 Samsung Galaxy S21
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Very good for taking photos
Good for recording videos
Good battery life
Best in class display quality
Good performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.2/10
8.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has very good overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 has good overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a good selfie camera, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has very good selfie capabilities, offering a higher quality for selfie enthusiasts. Additionally, the S22 Ultra has greater camera versatility, indicating a broader range of photographic options and enhancements in camera performance overall, including better capabilities in dynamic range and low-light situations compared to the S21.
Photo Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra takes very good photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes good photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 provides a good camera experience with a respectable selfie camera, but the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra steps up the game with a very good software experience, better dynamic range, and a much higher-resolution selfie camera, making for more detailed and versatile shots.
Video Quality
6.6/10
7.4/10
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra takes good videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 takes only fair videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 delivers good videos with high-resolution and frame rates, an engaging software experience, and stable capture, but it may fall slightly short in dynamic range and low light performance compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S22 Ultra pushes the boundaries further with superior video stabilization, dynamic range, and low light capabilities, along with commendable microphone quality, enhancing overall video and audio capture.
Battery
6.7 Hours
7.8 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has 6.7 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has 7.8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a screen size of 6.2 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
Cost
$145
$930
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a price of $145 and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs $930.
"The Galaxy S21 delivers the flagship Samsung experience in a phone that's much more pocketable (and affordable) than the top-end S21 Ultra.The triple-camera system is incredibly capable, Samsung's One UI 3.1 software is chock-full of features and settings to mess with, and I've not once missed having expandable storage."
"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 Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
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
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
121,500
Recommendations made
68,850
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Phones Expert
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.