Phone Comparisons: Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22

This time around we’re comparing the Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22. Both of these phones are a part of flagship smartphone lineups, but are not the most powerful offerings from either company. Still, both of these phones are considered to be high-end, and have a lot to offer. That being said, they’re quite different, from both the design aspects, and various other aspects, so this comparison should be interesting.

Both phones are the smallest flagship offerings from either company, even though they’re not that similar in terms of size. We’ll talk more about that in the design section below. That being said, we’ll kick things off by listing their specifications, and will then move to various other sections. Let’s kick off the Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22 comparison, shall we?

Specs

	Google Pixel 6	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Screen size	6.4-inch fullHD+ AMOLED flat display (90Hz)	6.1-inch FullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate)
Screen resolution	2400 x 1080	2340 x 1080
SoC	Google Tensor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Samsung Exynos 2200
RAM	8GB (LPDDR5)	8GB (LPDDR5)
Storage	128GB/256GB, non-expandable	128GB/256GB, non-expandable
Rear cameras	50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, 26mm lens, omnidirectional PDAF, OIS, Laser AF) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.25um pixel size, 114-degree FoV)	50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 1.0um pixel size) 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 70mm lens, telephoto, 1.0um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm lens, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size)
Front cameras	8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size)	10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 26mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF)
Battery	4,614mAh, non-removable, 30W wired charging, 21W wireless charging	3,700mAh, non-removable, 45W wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, 5W Wireless PowerShare
Dimensions	158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm	146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm
Weight	207 grams	167 grams
Connectivity	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)	In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic)
OS	Android 12	Android 12 One UI 4.1
Price	$599	$799
Buy	Google	Samsung

Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Design

Both the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22 are made out of metal and glass. That being said, they do look quite different. The Pixel 6 has more of a squarish design, and thicker bezels, though they’re still quite thin. A display camera hole is located on both phones, and it is centered. Both phones also include a flat display, and have physical buttons on the right side. They are placed on opposite sides, though, on the Pixel 6 the power/lock button is above the volume rocker keys, while it’s the other way around on the Galaxy S22.

The Galaxy S22 has flatter sides, all around the phone, while backplates on both phones are quite flat, though the Pixel 6’s do slightly curve towards the sides. The Pixel 6 has a rather large camera strip on the back, which certainly stands out. The Galaxy S22 has a camera island that protrudes from the phone’s frame, so that’s essentially metal on top, and it looks really nice, similar to what the Galaxy S21 offered.

The Pixel 6 is both taller, wider, and thicker than the Galaxy S22. Thanks to all that, it’s also heavier. The difference is not small either. The Galaxy S22 is a considerably more compact smartphone, though it still has a fairly large 6.1-inch display. That should be one of the phones to consider if you’re looking for a smaller device. Both are fairly comfortable to use, and both do feel like quality products. Do note that they’re both slippery, though, so using a case would be a good idea.

Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Display

The Google Pixel 6 features a 6.4-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This is a 90Hz panel, which supports HDR10+ content. It is flat, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. We’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here, by the way. The Galaxy S22, on the other hand, includes a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This is also a flat display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it does support HDR10+ content. This panel also gets quite bright at 1,300 nits peak brightness, while it is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus+. This display has a display aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

That being said, the Galaxy S22’s display can get brighter than the Pixel 6’s. It can reach that peak brightness only with the automatic brightness option enabled, though. The Pixel 6 also has a really nice and bright display. It doesn’t get as bright as the Galaxy S22’s, but it’s not dim at all, quite the contrary. The Galaxy S22’s will be more visible under direct sunlight, though, so keep that in mind.

Both displays are excellent, though. They offer vivid colors, and blacks are as deep as you’d expect them to be. The viewing angles on both devices are excellent, while the white balance is also quite good. They’re both quite responsive, though the Pixel 6 does feel hollow due to the fact it isn’t bonded to the mid-frame. That means it’s rather easy to fix, but it also feels cheaper in comparison.

Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Performance

Is the performance any good, though? It has to be, considering these are high-end phones, right? Well, yeah, it is, for the most part. At the time of writing this article, the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S22 does have some issues, but Samsung promised that a fix is on the way. Other than that, both phones work great. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Galaxy S22 model offers top-notch performance, and the same goes for the Pixel 6.

The Pixel 6 is equipped with the Google Tensor SoC, Google’s very own processor. Both phones fly through everyday tasks, without a problem, and can even handle really demanding tasks. If you’re a gamer, you’ll be able to play pretty much any game on both of these smartphones. They have plenty of RAM, immensely powerful chipsets, and the software is also well-optimized.

Speaking of which, both ship with Android 12 out of the box, though the builds are quite different. Samsung’s phone comes with the company’s One UI skin on top of Android, so it does offer a different experience. It is a lot more customizable, though. It all depends on your preference, really, but both work great. We did notice that both phones can get warm during gaming, but nothing excessive nor worrying. The Galaxy S22 does get a bit warmer, though.

Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Battery

The Google Pixel 6 includes a 4,614mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy S22, on the flip side, has a 3,700mAh battery. The smaller battery inside the Galaxy S22 is expected, considering its smaller display. Still, this is quite a difference. Can you tell in usage, though? Well yes, you can. The Pixel 6 definitely offers better battery life. It was able to get us to around 5.5-6 hours of screen-on-time, usually. The Galaxy S22, well, it is closer to 5 hours.

Do note that everyone’s usage is different, though. We’ve heard that some people can reach 6 hours of screen-on-time with the Pixel 6, while some go well below that. It will all depend on your usage, really, but the Pixel 6 should be able to offer better battery life in general. Do note that you’ll likely get considerably worse numbers if you’re pushing the phone hard.

What about charging? Well, both phones do offer wired and wireless charging. The Pixel 6 supports 21W wired and wireless charging. Do note that the charging slows down considerably after the phone hits 50-percent, so it will take you quite a bit of time to fully charge it, around 2 hours. The Galaxy S22 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. It charges faster than the Pixel 6, considerably faster.

Google Pixel 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Cameras

Both of these phones have fairly capable camera setups. Both devices come with 50-megapixel main cameras, though in different setups. Both have ultrawide cameras too, while only the Galaxy S22 has a telephoto camera. The results from these two phones are different, though. They both provide really good pictures during the day, but the S22’s are a bit more saturated, while the Pixel 6 tends to offer a better dynamic range. White balance is usually good on both, and both provide plenty of details.

The Pixel 6 does a better job when it comes to shooting moving objects, such as kids playing, or pets. Ultrawide camera does a great job on both smartphones, but the Galaxy S22 offers a wider field of view. You likely won’t use the Pixel 6 ultrawide camera, as it really doesn’t add that much wideness to the frame. Both of those cameras do a good job both during the day, and in the nighttime, but the main cameras are still noticeably better in low light.

Speaking of which, both phones provide plenty of detail in low light, and can truly lighten up an image, considerably. Both phones tend to have issues with light flares, but that’s not always an issue. The Pixel 6 tended to be more consistent for nighttime shots, though, but that’s more a thing of preference. Both do a really good job.

Audio

Both of these smartphones come with stereo speakers. Both include one at the bottom (the main one), and the secondary above the display (front-facing). Speakers on both smartphones are good, but the ones on the Galaxy S22 sound a bit fuller. The difference is not all that big, though, so chances are some of you wouldn’t even notice.

Neither of the two phones has a 3.5mm headphone jack, unfortunately. You’ll have to resort to the Type-C port, or simply use Bluetooth. The sound coming out of both phones is good, it doesn’t sound tinny or anything of the sort.