Flagship Android battle: Pixel 7 and 7 Pro vs. Galaxy S22 and S22+

Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are finally a reality. But they face stiff competition from Samsung’s Galaxy S22 range. In the Android world, the Pixel and Galaxy phones are generally leaders in the US market, so we’re keen to put them side by side. For now, that means there are differences in specs, although we plan to fully review the new Google phones in the coming days.

Google Pixel 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S22

If we look at the two cheaper phones first, we have the Pixel 7 and the Galaxy S22. The price difference is stark: the Pixel 7 starts at $599 while the Galaxy S22 is $799. That $200 savings could easily make the Google device a more viable option on your budget. Both devices have 128GB of storage but no microSD card slot. If you need more storage, the 256GB versions of the Pixel and Galaxy devices are $699 and $849, respectively.

For power, the Pixel 7 uses the Tensor G2 chip and the Galaxy S22 runs on the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 platform. We’ve yet to benchmark the new Tensor hardware before we can definitively declare a winner, but based on the performance of the first-gen Tensor, we expect similar overall performance from the newer processor. Both phones stick with 8GB of RAM.

The Pixel 7’s 6.3-inch, 2,400 x 1,080 screen is slightly larger than the Galaxy S22’s 6.1-inch, 2,340 x 1,080 screen, but the pixel density is almost identical at 417 and 423 pixels-per-inch (ppi) respectively, but the S22 offers a higher refresh rate (up to 120Hz), while the Pixel 7 maxes out at 90Hz.

Galaxy S22 (Image credit: Molly Flores)

For many, cameras are a big factor in the decision to buy a smartphone. The Pixel 7 has a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, which matches the Galaxy S22’s 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide unit. But the Samsung phone also packs a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto lens, something the Pixel 7 doesn’t have. However, you might care more about Google-exclusive software features like True Tone, Magic Eraser, and Face Unblur.

Connectivity isn’t a huge differentiator. Both phones support Wi-Fi 6E and the latest 5G technologies.

Google and Samsung both promise five years of security updates for their phones, meaning you should be safe until 2027. However, Samsung promises four years of software version updates, while Google only offers three. Something else to consider is whether you prefer Google’s clean version of Android or Samsung’s stylized OneUI.

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22+

The Google Pixel 7 Pro competes most closely with the Galaxy S22+. It starts at $899 while the S22+ retails for $999. Due to the similar price, the specification differences are more significant here than in the previous comparison.

Both phones come with 128GB of internal storage and don’t offer storage expansion. If you want more storage, Google has 256GB and 512GB versions for $999 and $1,099, respectively. Samsung charges $1,049 for a 256GB version of its phone but doesn’t have a 512GB variant.

The processor specs (listed above) are the same: the Pixel 7 Pro uses the new Tensor G2 chip, and the S22+ runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 platform. Interestingly, the Pixel has 12GB of RAM while the Galaxy sticks with 8GB of storage.

Pixel 7 Pro (Image credit: Eric Zeman)

The Pixel 7 has a 6.7-inch QHD+ screen with 3120 x 1440 pixels and the Galaxy S22+ has a 6.6-inch panel with 2340 x 1080 pixels. Google slightly wins the resolution (513ppi compared to 390ppi), but both phones have a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

Both phones offer a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, but the Pixel 7 Pro adds a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with a 5x optical zoom and up to 30x Super Res -Zoom in. The Galaxy S22+ features the same 10MP 3x telephoto lens as the base S22.

Connectivity shouldn’t be an issue with either: each supports the latest 5G and WiFi 6E standards.

On paper, the 7 Pro offers consistently better specs and costs less. But we still want to wait for the opportunity to complete a full review before drawing any definitive conclusions. Again, a choice between stock Android and Samsung’s One UI could play into your decision. And remember, with Samsung you get an extra year of software feature updates.

What about the Galaxy S22 Ultra?

Every year we hope Google announces an “Ultra” version of its Pixel phone to compete with $1,000+ smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (and even the iPhone 14 Pro Max), but Google seems to be closing the three to like. Model range (with the affordable Pixel 6a). As it stands now, the comparison between the S22 Ultra and Pixel 7 isn’t exactly fair; The S22 Ultra is better in almost every category. But that’s not unexpected given the more expensive entry-level price.