You may be wondering if you should choose a Galaxy S22 now, and among the best black friday deals – or wait for the Galaxy S23, will debut early next year. It’s a great question because you probably want to get the most for your money.
On the one hand, we will surely see incredible Galaxy S22 Deals in the coming weeks, but the Galaxy S23 will be the latest and greatest with all the newest hardware. So you have to ask yourself what is more important to you, a bargain or the next big thing?
We’ve rounded up all the rumors and leaks about Samsung’s next flagship to give you some buying tips to help you decide.
Galaxy S23: Reasons to wait
Of course, all the reasons we are about to describe are based on Galaxy S23 rumors and leaks, so take them with a grain of salt. But as with every new model, it’s the shiny that will catch a lot of people’s attention. However, from what we’ve heard so far, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus could be remarkably similar to their predecessors.
New 12MP front camera for Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus
Rumors say that Samsung will update the resolutions of the front camera of the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus for the first time since the Galaxy S9 in 2019. Non-Ultra models have settled for 10MP selfie cameras, but we’ve heard the resolution will increase to 12MP next year.
In theory, that could mean clearer selfies with sharper details from a sensor that lets in more light. A 12MP sensor would bring the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus more in line with the tastes of the iPhone 14 Y pixel 7They feature 12MP and 10.8MP front cameras, respectively.
New Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip
Of course, a new year means a new chipset and for the Galaxy S23, that equates to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. After the chipmaker’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the 8 Gen 2 is set to boost performance across the board. scopes based on some leaked benchmarks.
In fact, those Leaked Galaxy S23 benchmarks it points to an Android chipset that matches the iPhone 14 and its A15 Bionic. In that leak, the Galaxy S23, which theoretically runs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, achieved a single-core Geekbench 5 score of 1524 and a multi-core score of 4597. That easily beats the Galaxy S22’s 1204/3348. We expect the new GPU to impress as well.
Bigger batteries for Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus
Battery life is an issue for Samsung, so we’re all hoping the Galaxy S23 series will finally deliver above-average battery life on a single charge. The Galaxy 23 Ultra is rumored to stick with a massive 5,000mAh power pack, but the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus could have bigger batteries.
The current rumor says that the Galaxy S23 will have a 3,885 mAh battery, compared to 3,700 mAh for the Galaxy S22. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Plus could get a 4,700mAh power supply, up from 4,500mAh. Those are fairly minor increases, 5% in the case of the Galaxy S23, but every little bit helps.
Longer upgrade life
When it comes to Android phones, Samsung has the best update policy in the business. With all Galaxy S, Z, and most A devices, you get a substantial four years of Android updates and five years of security patches. No other Android phone maker, not even Google, does that.
Of course, the Galaxy S23 will be the new kid on the block, so you’ll get years longer than the Galaxy S22, even if you bought one of the latter today. The S22 will stop at Android 16 in 2025 (since Android 13 counted as one of its updates) and will see its end of life in 2027, while the Galaxy S23 will get Android 17 in 2026 and will see its last patch in 2028. That technically means you could get more out of your phone when you make your purchase.
200MP main camera for Galaxy S23 Ultra
Finally, many rumors say that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will get a big main camera upgrade to 200MP. The Galaxy S22 Ultra uses its 108MP main sensor to great effect, approaching the iPhone 14 Pro Y Pixel 7 Pro in many cases.
Leaker Ice Universe says that the big jump in resolution will be extremely noticeable, stating that it will be the biggest jump Samsung smartphone night photography has taken in the last five years. If the Korean phone maker plays its cards right, the Galaxy S23 Ultra could take the crown for the best camera phone.
Galaxy S22: reasons to buy now
Of course, we don’t know when exactly the Galaxy S23 will come out. The Galaxy S22 was launched in February 2022, but the latest rumors say that Samsung could go back to a January launch window for the Galaxy S23.
That said, Black Friday is right around the corner, and Samsung and carriers often throw in some crazy phone deals. We think the Galaxy S22 is about to get a lot more enticing, which makes sense as it’s still a great batch of phones. Here’s why we think you should consider picking one up if an offer catches your eye.
There aren’t many rumored design changes.
Many complaints about modern smartphones boil down to the idea that most new models are iterative rather than innovative. People, including us, often get bored with the same design every year, something we’ve felt with the iPhone 14, which is in its third year of design.
the Galaxy S23 doesn’t look like it’s going to change too muchHowever, some leaks suggest that Samsung will drop the contoured camera module, instead of setting each camera lens separately on the back of the phone, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra. We won’t know until Samsung pulls the wraps off next year, but from what we’ve heard, it could be the same – or similar – this time.
the same three models
Samsung has offered three models since the Galaxy S20, giving people a good variety of prices and features to suit their needs and budgets. That appears to remain the same with the Galaxy S23, which is set to keep the regular model, the Galaxy S23 Plus, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
We haven’t heard rumors about any other models, which makes it easier to extrapolate what to expect. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus will be basically identical in everything except size, while Samsung puts all its focus on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. And based on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, we’re not expecting any big advances, which makes the current variants still attractive.
best deals
Being the older model, the Galaxy S22 is likely to see some serious discounts both in the upcoming holiday season and when the Galaxy S23 launches. Operators will want to empty their inventories, as will Samsung.
That means you might be able to get one of the Galaxy S22 models for very little money. For example, we have seen the Galaxy S22 Ultra for as little as $899which is $300 off. Check out our Galaxy S22 Deals summary to get more and the best of us black friday deals Rounding.
The cameras are still very good.
While Samsung is firmly in third place behind Apple and Google by best camera phones, the Galaxy S22 and others still deliver great photos. Night photography is especially good, with Samsung giving Apple and Google some serious competition for their money.
So while the Galaxy S23 series is likely to get some camera tech improvements, like the 12MP selfie upgrade for non-Ultra models, it doesn’t make the Galaxy S22’s photography any less valuable. They are still great in many situations.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is still very powerful
Sure, the leaks about Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are pretty exciting as Qualcomm continues to close the gap with Apple. However, that doesn’t diminish the power and capabilities of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It’s more than powerful enough for most people, including gaming and photography.
Don’t be distracted by the latest chipset when today’s flagship is still more than adequate in all situations.
Only major camera updates for Galaxy S23 Ultra
Going back to cameras for a second, it looks like most of the upgrades will be reserved for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. So if you weren’t planning on buying the top-of-the-line phone, you might be disappointed by what Samsung offers with the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus when it comes to cameras.
But Samsung often has a habit of leaking camera features from its newer devices to older ones, so you might see a lot of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s software tricks on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. So it may not be worth going for the latter if Samsung’s MO is true.
Bottom line
Regardless of whether you pick up the Galaxy S22 now or wait for the Galaxy S23, chances are you’ve got a great phone. It is your needs that will influence your decision, as budget concerns are on the minds of many people. When the Galaxy S23 launches, the Galaxy S22 could still be an attractive option as a way to save some money.
Based on the rumors so far, it looks like Samsung will refocus most of its attention on the Galaxy S23 Ultra while making minor improvements to the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. It’s a very Apple approach.
As for whether to buy a Galaxy S22 now or wait for the Galaxy S23, we don’t have a definitive answer. It really depends on your needs, budget, time frame, and what you want from a smartphone. However, we have summarized what you need to know to make the best buying decision, so now it’s up to you.