Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus: Biggest rumored differences

Much of the build-up to the Samsung Unpacked event this month has focused on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the high-end entry in Samsung's upcoming flagship lineup. But two other phones will make their debut at that event and a Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus comparison will help you be able to tell the two phones apart.

We won't be able to stack the phones up against one another until Samsung formally announces its new handsets. But enough Galaxy S22 rumors have emerged to give us a pretty good idea of what to expect from these new devices.

Make no mistake — the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will likely share a lot of features. But the two models have some key differences, and knowing what those are will help you decide which Samsung phone is the best fit for you. That's especially crucial as Samsung is already letting you reserve a spot to pre-order its upcoming devices.

Here's how our Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus comparison shakes down.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus rumored specs

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus: What's different

Some critical differences exist between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus — some of which will be obvious to the naked eye and some that will only become apparent once we get a chance to dig into the specs of the new phones. Fortunately, Galaxy S22 rumors can give us a head start on knowing where the big differences between these devices will be.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus screen sizes: This one's self-evident before Samsung even takes the wraps off of the Galaxy S22 lineup. We've had years of Samsung flagships conditioning us to understand that the standard model will come in at one size and the Plus model will be just a little bit larger.

For the record, rumors suggest that the Galaxy S22 will have a 6.1-inch screen while the S22 Plus will come in at 6.5 inches. These screen sizes would be smaller than the comparable Galaxy S21 models, though the same basic "The Galaxy S Plus model is the bigger option" idea remains in play.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus battery sizes: A bigger screen requires a bigger battery, so you'd expect the Galaxy S22 Plus to have a larger power pack than the one in the S22. This would mirror Samsung's past approach with its Galaxy S lineup as well.

Again, we just have rumors to go on, with Samsung watchers predicting a 4,600 mAh battery for the Galaxy S22 Plus compared to 3,800 mAh for the Galaxy S22. As with the screen sizes, these battery sizes would be smaller than what Samsung offered with the Galaxy S21 Plus (4,800 mAh) and Galaxy S21 (4,000 mAh). Then again, if the Galaxy S22 models are shrinking down to house relatively smaller screens, you'd expect battery sizes to scale back as well.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus charging speed: This one's a bit of a surprise, as you would think Samsung would reserve its fastest charging speed for the top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra. But a rumor tips both the Ultra and the Plus to charge at 45W, an upgrade from the 25W speed on last year's models. Meanwhile, that same rumor says 25W is what the Galaxy S22 will stick at.

Of course, unless you spring for a faster charger, you may not notice the difference. If you remember, Samsung has stopped including a charger with its phones as a nod to environmental concerns. But that means anyone who wants to experience the faster charging speed apparently headed to phones like the Galaxy S21 Plus will need to pay up for the accessory.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus price: As with different display sizes, it's not going out on a limb to say that the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus won't cost the same. The question is how much each model will cost and whether those prices will come in at the same level as their Galaxy S21 counterparts.

You may remember that the Galaxy S21 had a starting price of $799, with the S21 Plus costing $200 more. While some rumors expect Samsung to offer the same prices of the Galaxy S22 models, another source claims there will be a price hike. Specifically, that rumor tabs the Galaxy S22 to start at $899 with the Galaxy S22 Plus costing $1,099 — $100 price hikes from the previous models. We're hoping this is one rumor that doesn't pan out.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus: What features they share

With those rumored differences out of the way, let's go over the things that will be similar when choosing between the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. As you might imagine, it's a lengthy list.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus cameras: The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus featured the same camera setup, and that's likely to continue with the S22 family. Even better, the S22 and S22 Plus are in line for a camera upgrade.

Specifically, both phones are said to feature 50MP main cameras, an upgrade from the 12MP sensor used last year. The telephoto lens on both the S22 and S22 Plus is due for an upgrade, too, with that camera capable of a 3x optical zoom. The S21 made do with a hybrid zoom. Both new phones are supposed to feature the same 10MP front camera as before.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus display refresh rate: Though the screen may be different sizes on these two phones, they're both likely to refresh at the same 120Hz rate. And if Samsung takes the same approach as it did with the Galaxy S21 models, the S22 phones will have the same range of speeds when dynamically adjusting how fast the display refreshes. In the case of the Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus, the displays had a refresh rate ranging from 48Hz to 120Hz depending on your on-screen activity.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus processor and configuration options: Expect the same processor to appear in the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus — a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 system-on-chip for models released in the U.S. and other regions or an Exynos 2200 chipset for European versions of the phones.

Likewise, the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus are both expected to come with 8GB of RAM — only the Ultra has different memory size options. You'll also be able to pick between models with 128GB or 256GB storage.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus colors: Sometimes Samsung mixes up the colors between different models of the same phone, but in the case of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, that's not to be. At the moment, the same four colors appear to be in play — black, white, green and pink. There had been rumors of a gold model at one point, though the most recent Galaxy S22 renders only show off the four color options.

Unlike the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is said to be adopting a Galaxy Note-like design, the Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra are expected to look alike, with a design that draws heavily from the Galaxy S21's look.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S22 Plus availability: Both the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus are expected to ship at the same time, though if one rumor is accurate, that's not necessarily great news. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra is tipped to appear on February 25, the release dates for the other two models may have been pushed back. One leaker says we won't see the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus until March 11, due to supply chain issues that are slowing down production of the phones.