How much difference could three years make?
5 min readLook obviously the Galaxy S25 is better than the S22, but we're here to break down whether it is finally time to upgrade.
There are a handful of improvements since 2022 - longer security updates, larger camera sensors, and better screen ratios. Yet how much these actually matter to you will determine whether you should trade in that S22 for an S25, or even the S21 for an S25.
Below we break down what's new, and what's the same in the latest Samsung Galaxy S series.
Cameras: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S22
More MP
TLDR:
- Big improvements between the baseline S22 and S25 models
- Differences between the two Ultras aren't as large, but the S25 is still a step above
- All models will benefit from Samsung's AI camera features
As is to be expected, the latest Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have a more advanced camera set up - at least from a hardware perspective. The pair use a 50MP wide angle + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP selfie camera. Plus the S25 Ultra has a whopping 200MP main sensor.
These specs are the same on the S22 base models. The S22 and S22 Plus both have a 50MP wide angle lens, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto.
The math is a touch different on the S22 Ultra however. The older Ultra has 108MP wide + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP telephoto, and an additional 10MP periscope telephoto to accomodate Space Zoom. Not to mention the 40MP selfie camera. You'll still get some substantial upgrades swapping from Ultra to Ultra, but if you're looking to go down a notch you may be a tad dissapointed.
Hardware aside, there are a bunch of AI photography features available across both devices. All the same improvements Samsung has made to its generative edits, will flow down to the S22 series in time, but you still won't get Instant Slo-mo. Sorry.
AI Features: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S22
Same, same, but different.
TLDR:
- The Galaxy S22 should get most of the same AI updates as the S25 range
It wouldn't be a phone launch without the AI conversation. Samsung's latest S series has even more AI features including the brand new Conversational Search which lets you find things in your phone's settings using native language, and Math Helper which solves equations in Samsung Notes.
While these are new to the S25 series, chances are some of these features will trickle down to the S22 series. Samsung has committed to providing Galaxy AI updates to phones released as far back as 2021, albeit some of the functionality will be missing. For now the S22 has everything except for Instant Slo-mo, but we'll need to wait and see on the full update.
Here's everything available in Galaxy AI, just to jog your memory.
- Chat Assist: Use AI to rewrite your texts and emails.
- Live Translate: Use AI to translate text and audio in real time.
- Circle to Search: Circle on screen text or images to pull up relevant search results for it via Google.
- Sketch to image: Turn text prompts into images using AI.
- Browsing assist: Summarise web pages using AI.
- Note Assist: Summarise notes using AI.
- Portrait studio: Use AI to "reimagine" portrait images in alternative art styles
- Math Helper: You can now write equations and get answers to them in Samsung Notes
- Handwriting Assist: Samsung Notes will make your penmanship better
- Call Recording:
- Conversational search: You can now navigate and use Samsung's Gallery and Settings apps by using conversational prompts
- AI Select: Highlight a selected image on your screen and receive a list of recommended and relevant actions
- Cross-app actions: Using Google Gemini, you can now ask your phone to complete tasks across multiple selected apps.
- Now brief: Each day, your phone will offer personalised summaries that combine weather, news, health and calendar information in a single round-up.
Design and durability: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S22
More screen real estate
TLDR:
- The Galaxy S25 base models are larger than the S22 base models, and can get brighter
- The S25 Ultra has smaller bezels, and the largest screen-to-body ratio of any Galaxy device
Lets be real here, Samsung hasn't been reinventing the rectangle when it comes to phone design. While there are design differences between the S25 family, and the S22 family, they're relatively small.
On the base models the S25 is 0.1-inch larger than the S22, jumping from 6.1-inches to 6.2-inches. Both have AMOLED displays, although the S25 can now go twice as bright. The maximum nits has jumped from 1300 on the S22 up to 2600 on the S25. The two devices still share the same IP68 water resistance and 120Hz refresh rate.
Its a similar story for the Ultra devices. The S25 Ultra is also brighter than the S22 Ultra, and it has more screen real estate. While the screen-to-body ratio on the S22 Ultra was 90.2%, the S25 Ultra is up to 94.8% thanks to thinner bezels. Even though the models are a similar physical size, you'll get more screen to stare at with the S25.
Power and performance: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S22
Faster, better, stronger
TLDR:
- All three phones will be supported for 7 years of OS updates
- All three phones are powered by a custom version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset
Samsung posits its latest chipset in the Galaxy S25 series will see improvements in performance across the board. The latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip will offer a 40% improvement in NPU, 37% improvement in CPU and 30% improvement in GPU when compared to the S24 Ultra.
Compound those upgrades from the S22's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and there is no doubt that S25 will be a quicker machine.
Again the S25 family has a little bit more battery power than the S22. While the S22 base models have 3,700mAh the S25 base models have 4,000mAh. Whether this extra battery power will do anything for the batter life is yet to be seen however. It could just get funneled straight back to the AI processor.
When it comes to longevity the S22 is gettin on in years. At launch Samsung promised four major upgrades, meaning the S22 family should be secure to use until the major 2026 OS upgrade is out of date. The S25 models however have a guaranteed seven years of security updates, so you could still be rocking the latest Samsung device until 2032, safely.
Conclusion: Which is the better pick?
Gotta get Galaxy brained
Comparing the S22 to the latest Galaxy S25 devices is chalk and cheese. Since 2022 Samsung has made big changes to its cameras, performance, and longevity of its devices. There is no doubt the S25 series is the better choice here.
However if you're wondering if you should upgrade the answer is murkier. The S25 is a big step up from the S22, but it isn't a huge shift from the S24 models from last year. Sure there is a better processor, but the meat of the device is much the same. This incremental upgrade could signal a bigger change in the 2026 model. There are no guarantees of course, but the possibility is there.
If you're sitting with the S22 and nothing about it bothers you then there is no harm in holding on to it for another year, or until the Galaxy S25 Edge comes out. However if you're ready to throw off the 2022 shackles then you'll find a bunch of noteworthy improvements.
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