The Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro battle is between the best smartphones for their respective operating systems. Both have state-of-the-art internals, offering some of the very best experiences, albeit costing akin to a king’s ransom.
It might come as a revelation to many, but S22 Ultra’s base model retails for $1,199, making it $200 more expensive than Apple’s flagship iPhone 13 Pro. Even the 6.7” Max variant starts at $1,199, about $100 less than Samsung’s flagship. This must be taken into consideration when choosing in-between devices for gaming.
To simplify, we’ve laid out four categories for each phone, where we will compare them head to head. It’s not just about the Android vs iOS narrative anymore because the end-user experience creates all the difference. The Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro battle will be close.
Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro: Four categories relevant for gaming
- Performance
- Display Quality
- Battery Life
- Ergonomics and comfort
1) Performance
Both smartphones feature the latest available flagship processors. Apple’s in-house A15 Bionic is exclusive and unavailable on any other platform. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes bearing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the flagship Android processor from Qualcomm.
Many would presume that Apple should win this round comfortably, but the ingenious implementation of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the S22 Ultra allows for efficient thermal performance.
The gap between Apple’s silicon and the competition is narrowing. However, A15 still wins it, thanks to better in-game performance and thermals.
Memory management is something that the S22 Ultra excels at. The iPhone 13 Pro features 6GB of RAM, which is plenty for iOS, but it is no match for the Ultra phone from Samsung. If you constantly switch between apps and like to multitask while gaming, the S22 Ultra pulls ahead in the Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro battle.
Winner: iPhone 13 Pro
2) Display Quality
Ironically, the display used in the iPhone 13 Pro lineup is made by Samsung. No other company matches the strict quality parameters that Apple follows. Cheaper non-Pro iPhone 13 models get panels from BOE and LG. This indicates that Samsung makes the world's best smartphone displays.
The iPhone 13 Pro and the 13 Pro Max have a 6.1" and 6.7" display, respectively, with a resolution that is slightly above FHD+. To compare, the S22 Ultra has a massive 6.8" QHD+ panel.
For gaming, refresh rate plays an important role, and fortunately, both phones have displays that support a 120hz refresh rate, but it is the S22 Ultra that pulls ahead with its much brighter and sharper 1750 nits display.
While both displays represent the pinnacle of mobile display technology, Samsung chose to reserve the best panels for its flagship.
Winner: Galaxy S22 Ultra
3) Battery Life
On paper, the Galaxy S22 Ultra should annihilate the iPhone 13 Pro, but the specs don't tell the real story. While both smartphones have stellar battery life, the iPhone 13 Pro and the 13 Pro Max pull ahead with superior optimization.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts a full working day. The battery drains much quicker for gaming due to the mammoth 6.8" display and the increased voltage required by the CPU to output visuals in QHD+.
On the other hand, the iPhones appear flat on paper but deliver dividends in real-world usage. The smaller variant houses a 3095 mAh compared to the still modest 4352 mAh of the Max variant.
Both are easily two-day phones, with phenomenal standby time and resilience during intense gaming sessions. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has the best battery life of a modern-day premium flagship phone. The Galaxy S22 Ultra Vs iPhone 13 Pro battle is heating up.
Winner: iPhone 13 Pro
4) Ergonomics and comfort
Only the iPhone 13 Pro Max will be considered for this category as it is the right match for the mammoth Galaxy S22 Ultra. This is a tricky category to call as comfort is subjective.
Some might like the boxy, sharp design of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, while others might prefer the rounded, curved design of the Galaxy phone. However, for certain, both the iPhone and Galaxy are quite chunky at 240 g and 228 g, respectively.
The boxy design of the iPhone allows for a better grip while the Galaxy sits more comfortably in the contour of your hands, but in all fairness, we cannot call this category's winner on a subjective note.
Hence, the practicality quotient shall decide the winner. The iPhone 13 Pro features a flat panel compared to the rounded, waterfall-esque shape of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung has tried to minimize the Galaxy series' infamous accidental touches, but the problem persists.
For gaming, this minor annoyance can prove to be disastrous. We must consider the fact that most people will put a case over their phones, so, to an extent, this can be solved, but it is the iPhone 13 Pro Max that snatches the win here, albeit by a small margin.
Winner: iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone wins
With a win in 3/4 categories, the iPhone 13 Pro series came out in the Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro battle, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra is no slouch, thanks to an excellent all-around performance.
Smartphone OEMs that focus on practicality and better real-world performance will always take the win.
Check out our articles on the best Android gaming tablets available in 2022 and the five best OnePlus devices to play Genshin Impact.