Samsung Galaxy A or S: you should know these differences

Samsung introduced the new Galaxy S series devices in February 2022, and shortly thereafter updated its A series. Did this make the differences between the Galaxy A and Galaxy S even bigger, or was there nothing really new? In this article we want to keep you up to date on how the manufacturer’s model series differ. This should help you especially if you want to buy a new Samsung cell phone.

With the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 launching in April 2022, Samsung’s top smartphone series is ready for summer 2022. This again begs the question of which Samsung cell phones you should go for. In addition to the overview linked with the best Samsung cell phones, we concentrate on the question “A or S”?

Galaxy A or Galaxy S: these are the differences

The smartphone market is divided into segments such as “high class”, “middle class” or “entry-level models”. With the S-series, Samsung is more in the upper class and produces mid-range models for the A-series. New technologies, such as the powerful camera of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, are usually only found in the more expensive models.

The S Pen stylus is only compatible with Samsung’s most expensive smartphones. In 2022, the manufacturer also decided to reintegrate the stylus into the case of one of the Galaxy models. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the official replacement for the Galaxy Note series. As with Samsung’s legendary phablets, you can insert the S Pen at the bottom of the case.

In terms of processing quality, you can also expect high-quality materials such as metal frames and glass elements in the S series. In the S22 series, Samsung uses high-quality and particularly unbreakable Gorilla Glass Victus+ in all models. Samsung is also replacing the S21’s polycarbonate back with glass.

In addition to new technologies and processing quality, performance advantages await you with S devices. Here, Samsung in Europe mainly uses its own SoCs from the Exynos series; in the case of the S22 series, the Exynos 2200, which is manufactured using the new 4-nanometer process. You can learn more about Samsung’s latest smartphone processor in our SoC leaderboard.

In the mid-range, Samsung also dares to use its own processors in 2022. Thus, the Exynos 1280 is used in the Galaxy A53 and also in the Galaxy A33. In our test reports, the SoC definitely offered enough performance for everyday use.

However, compared to the S-series, Samsung’s new A-models offer significantly larger batteries. While the Galaxy S22 offers a battery with only 3,700 mAh, the manufacturer includes both the A53 and A33 with a proud 5,000 mAh. Another advantage is the possibility of expanding the internal memory with MicroSD cards.

However, you must make deductions for the cameras used. Both models come with a quad camera, which contains sensors for macro photography and depth information that are pretty useless. In the S-series, Samsung now offers configurations with wide-angle, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras across the board.

One factor to neglect when choosing between Galaxy A and Galaxy S is to ensure software updates. The lower IP67 certification against water and dust is almost on a par with the IP68 certification of the higher models. And update guarantee for four major generations of Android and five years of security updates is also available for all models in the table at the beginning of this article.

These models were released in 2021 and 2022

Six models from the Galaxy S and Galaxy A series have already appeared in 2022. In addition, buying older models from 2021 is still worthwhile, as they are available as new devices with warranty and sufficient upgrade guarantee. In the following table you will find an overview of all models.

Differences Samsung Galaxy A and S

Clicking on the respective device name will take you to more information. These are links to our test reports or, if we haven’t tested them yet, to the model overview pages.

The best Samsung smartphones in price consultation

Is Samsung your favorite smartphone manufacturer? Then you should definitely check out our list of the best Samsung smartphones.

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That’s what the letters “A” and “S” mean.

Of course, the two classes of Samsung devices are part of a marketing strategy that the company has been pursuing for several years. The first S model, simply called the Galaxy S, appeared in 2010. The “S” does not stand for the “Super AMOLED” screens used, as many assume, but rather “Super Smart”.

The “A” in “Galaxy A”, on the other hand, represents a somewhat less spectacular “Alpha”. There are other designations at Samsung with “Y” for “Young”, “C” for “China”, “M” for “Magic” and “J” for “Joy”. Well, if those aren’t some fun facts for next game night!

The differences between A and S also apply to tablets

If you are not only interested in Samsung’s small screen devices, you should take a look at Samsung’s tablets. As you can read in our Samsung tablet buying guide, there is also a difference between the Galaxy S and the Galaxy A. Along with the Galaxy S22, Samsung also launched the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 models with the Tab S8+ and Tab S8+ models. S8 Ultra.

A few months earlier, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 was launched, which is better value for money. You see, Samsung’s nomenclature can even apply to other classes of products. So it’s not that hard!

Which series of devices at Samsung do you find most exciting? In 2022, were you more impressed by the A-series models or the new S models? How do you feel about the launch of the Galaxy S22 series? Let me know in the comments!