← Back to Smartphones
2026 comparison
Updated Jan 15, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSamsung Galaxy S22 vs Apple iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Apple iPhone 16: which is the right fit? We cover performance, value, and use cases to make the call easier.
Ratings: 4.5★ vs 4.8★
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Samsung Galaxy S22
★4.5
(466)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 730
Check Amazon Price→
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8
(219)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
Check Amazon Price→
Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Apple iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S22
★4.5(466)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | Samsung Galaxy S22 | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.5(466)Best Buy | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno 730 | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8 GB |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.1" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less) | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 425 ppi | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 48–120Hz (Adaptive) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,300 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 50MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Dual Pixel AF, OIS | 48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV) | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | 10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4); OIS | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 3x Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 30x Space Zoom | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 10MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), Dual Pixel AF | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 3,700 mAh (Typical) | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | Up to 25W Super Fast Charging (Adapter sold separately) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.2; NFC | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus+ | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 5.75" x 2.78" x 0.30" (146.0 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 5.89 oz (167 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition | Face ID |
Extras | Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox; Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + eSIM) | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. | Check Price on Amazon→ | Check Price on Amazon→ |
Samsung Galaxy S22
Rating:★4.5(466)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 730
RAM:8GB LPDDR5
Storage:128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.1)
Display Size:6.1" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display
Resolution:2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 425 ppi
Refresh Rate:48–120Hz (Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,300 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:50MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Dual Pixel AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV)
Telephoto Camera:10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4); OIS
Optical Zoom:3x Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 30x Space Zoom
Video Recording:8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps
Front Camera:10MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), Dual Pixel AF
Battery:3,700 mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:Up to 25W Super Fast Charging (Adapter sold separately)
Wireless Charging:Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity:5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.2; NFC
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1
Durability:IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus+
Dimensions:5.75" x 2.78" x 0.30" (146.0 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm)
Weight:5.89 oz (167 g)
Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition
Extras:Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox; Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + eSIM)
✓ Pros:
- • Compact and lightweight design is excellent for one-handed use
- • Versatile triple camera system with a dedicated 3x optical telephoto lens
- • Premium build quality with Gorilla Glass Victus+ and IP68 rating
- • Bright 120Hz OLED display (1,300 nits) remains visible outdoors
- • Long-term software support (4 OS upgrades)
✗ Cons:
- • Small 3,700mAh battery often struggles to last a full heavy day
- • Wired charging limited to 25W (slower than Plus/Ultra models)
- • Lacks Wi-Fi 6E support found in S22+ and Ultra
- • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can run warm under sustained heavy load
- • No microSD card slot
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Check Price on Amazon→
Apple iPhone 16
Rating:★4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
- • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
- • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
- • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Check Price on Amazon→
Which one is better?
Overall, Apple iPhone 16 delivers better satisfaction. Samsung Galaxy S22 is still a quality option with specific strengths worth considering.
Who should buy each?
Choose Samsung Galaxy S22 if:
- You want Compact and lightweight design is excellent for one-handed use, Versatile triple camera system with a dedicated 3x optical telephoto lens
- Rating: 4.5★ (466 reviews)
Choose Apple iPhone 16 if:
- You prefer A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- Rating: 4.8★ (219 reviews)
Conclusion
There is no wrong answer here. Focus on the features you will use daily and pick the model that aligns with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Samsung Galaxy S22 excels if you value compact and lightweight design is excellent for one-handed use. Apple iPhone 16 is better if you prioritize a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
Affiliate disclosure
PageBen uses Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This supports independent content for US shoppers.