Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Should you upgrade?

For many consumers, there are few genuine reasons to upgrade a flagship smartphone bought within the last three years. This is still true if you own a Samsung Galaxy S22 from 2022. Nearly two years later, Samsung hopes to court users with the Galaxy S24, but does the phone do enough to be a convincing upgrade? Find out in our Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24 comparison.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Design, size comparison, and colors

We’ve seen little design variation between recent smartphone generations, and in the case of Samsung, its entire range now shares a design language. The Galaxy S22 and its siblings were the last Samsung flagships to wear slightly different jackets. Its contoured camera housing, tinted in a similar shade to the main colorway, is its most distinguishing feature. I’m not enamored by the Galaxy S22’s design, but it does possess more personality than Samsung’s current aesthetic.

Speaking of, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is an almost carbon copy of the Galaxy S23, with its three camera lenses standing as dark islands on its rear panel. It’s clean, understated, and, by now, decidedly Samsung. The phone is still compact but packs a slightly larger display than the Galaxy S22, thanks to shaved-down bezels.

As for colors, you decide if Samsung’s latest phone has a more exciting rainbow. The Galaxy S24 is offered in Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Marble Gray, and Onyx Black, with Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, and Sapphire Blue as the three Samsung-exclusive hues. The Galaxy S22 is available in no fewer than nine colors: Phantom Black, Bora Purple, Green, Phantom White, and Pink Gold, with Samsung-exclusive shades of Cream, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Violet rounding off the palette.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Features

Two years is an eternity in the flagship smartphone world, and the Galaxy S24 boasts many upgrades over its predecessor. Let’s start at its core.

Samsung is again picking two chipsets to pepper its flagships across global regions. The Galaxy S24 will feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in the US and the Exynos 2400 in other markets. Although it opted for Qualcomm worldwide with the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S22 series also saw a silicon split. Whichever chip the Galaxy S24 receives will be swifter and more efficient than the Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 used in the 2022 phone.

Regardless of the chipset, the latest silicon brings Galaxy AI features to the Galaxy S24. As a snapshot of its capabilities, Galaxy AI brings a blend of onboard and cloud AI processing that allows real-time translations during calls, a message editing feature, transcription assistance tools, and a webpage summarization tool, among others. These features are exclusive to the new phone.

AI enhancements extend to the Galaxy S24’s camera kit, too. Generative Edit allows users more control over photo editing, removing objects from a scene, or reframing the shot entirely. An Instant Slo-Mo feature generates frames to create artificially-slowed videos. Other features and promises, like a color tuning tool and improved low-light photography performance, are also touted by Samsung. Again, none of these features are coming to the older Samsung flagship.

Regarding actual hardware, the Galaxy S22 doesn’t lag far behind the Galaxy S24. It features a 50MP primary camera alongside 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x telephoto companion shooters. Our Galaxy S22 review proved that it wasn’t far off the Galaxy S22 Ultra — a smartphone that was $400 pricier at launch. Unlike older Samsung phones, the S22 produced colors that weren’t oversaturated, while we also enjoyed its nighttime performance. Selfie lovers also get a small upgrade — the newer model employs the same front-facing 12MP unit as the S24 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 isn’t shaking up this formula much. Still leading the line is a 50MP main camera with a 12MP ultrawide and a slightly upgraded 10MP telephoto lens (OIS and larger sensor). The smaller phone misses the Ultra’s 200MP main shooter and 5x optical zoom capabilities, but we don’t expect this to affect the core imaging experience much. Of course, the new AI features should provide more versatility after the shutter closes than the Galaxy S22, so this is worth considering.

You’d be disappointed if you were hoping for a substantial charging bump. Samsung has never put speedy power delivery at the top of its list, and the Galaxy S24 retains the 25W maximum charging speed of the Galaxy S22. Notably, as the older phone has a smaller battery (3,700mAh vs 4,000mAh), it’ll likely take less time to charge. Conversely, the Galaxy S24 should win the longevity battle, thanks to the extra 300mAh in the bank and more efficient silicon.

Although we’ve seen a big technological leap over the two generations, the enriched software support arguably makes the biggest impact. The Galaxy S22’s Android support promise was extensive at the time, guaranteeing four years of Android version updates. This still means it’ll receive new Android versions for another two years. However, the Galaxy S24 extends this by another three years. Samsung now matches the seven-year promise of the Google Pixel 8 series, with version updates still coming after the decade is complete. It might be the biggest new feature for those resistant to upgrading their hardware annually.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Price and availability

Samsung debuted the Galaxy S24, including the Galaxy S24 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Ultra, on January 17, 2024, with pre-orders kicking off on the same day. General availability will commence on January 31, so there’s plenty of time to decide if you want to upgrade. You’ll need at least $799.99 for the 8GB/128GB base configuration or $859.99 for the 8GB/256GB version.

Those who pre-order the phone in the US through Samsung.com will receive the 256GB version for the price of the 128GB config — quite a nice incentive. Also, Samsung’s dishing out $100 in Samsung.com store credit for those who reserve their device.

While the Galaxy S22 launched on February 25, 2022, for $799, you can find the phone much cheaper in 2024. It was also offered in two configurations, with the 8GB/256GB model priced at $849.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: Should you upgrade?

Samsung’s biggest strength is its consistency, but this reliability largely makes upgrading from older flagships unnecessary. The Galaxy S22 is by no means an old phone. Although you’ll need to cast your mind back some distance to remember its launch, it’s still a pacey, versatile, and compact flagship running the latest version of Android with several more years of software support to come. If you don’t like the idea of trade-in deals, the only genuine reason to upgrade to the Galaxy S24 is if your Galaxy S22 is ailing.

It’s also worth considering the Galaxy S22 as a viable budget option. It’s cheaper than the Galaxy S23 FE at major retailers. Paying mid-range prices for a barely two-year-old flagship phone isn’t a bad way to spend money. Of course, we can’t mention these two Samsung models without throwing the Galaxy S23 series into the ring, which should also see a steep price dive after the Galaxy S24’s debut.

This isn’t to say that the Galaxy S24 isn’t a competent smartphone. Yes, it looms large over its predecessor on paper, packing a larger, brighter display, faster chipset, and a software support program that will outlast this decade. Samsung’s Galaxy AI program introduces digital aids that’ll likely only improve over time. It’s an excellent onboarding point for newcomers to Samsung smartphones or power users wanting Android’s latest and greatest in a compact form factor. If you were in the market for a new Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S24 is the obvious target, but you will need to spend $200 short of a grand to own one.

Ultimately, whether you should switch out your Galaxy S22 for the Galaxy S24 will come down to what you value most — money in your pocket or the latest features at your fingertips.

Which Samsung smartphone do you think is the better buy? Let us know in the poll below.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Galaxy S24: FAQ