Galaxy S or Galaxy A—which smartphone series is the right one for you? In this article, we explain the differences between Samsung’s Galaxy series and introduce you to the current models. We will also guide you to current reviews and offers that will help you find the right phone.
| Basic model S-series | Plus model S-series | Ultra model S-series | Fan Edition S Series | Base Model A-Series | Low-priced model A-series | |
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| Technical data | 6.1 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2400×1080 pixels Exynos 2200 (Europe) 128 / 256 GB ROM 8 GB RAM Triple camera Main camera: 50 MP Ultra wide angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera: 10 MP 3700 mAh February 2022 |
6.6 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2400×1080 pixels Exynos 2200 (Europe) 128 / 256 GB ROM 8 GB RAM Triple camera Main camera: 50 MP Ultra wide angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera: 10 MP 4500 mAh February 2022 |
6.8 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 3088×1440 pixels Exynos 2200 (Europe) 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB ROM 8 / 12 GB RAM Quad camera Main camera: 108 MP Ultra wide angle: 12 MP Telephoto camera 1: 10 MP Telephoto camera 2: 10 MP 5000 mAh February 2022 |
6.4 inch, Dynamic AMOLED 1,080 x 2,400 pixels Snapdragon 888 128 GB / 256 GB 6 / 8 GB RAM Triple camera Main camera: 12 MP Ultra wide angle: 8 MP Telephoto camera: 12 MP Selfies: 32 MP 4,500 mAh January 2022 |
6.5 inch, Super AMOLED 1,080 x 2,400 pixels Exynos 1280 (Europe) 128 / 256 GB ROM 6 / 8 GB RAM Quad camera Main camera: 64 MP Ultra wide angle: 12 MP Depth: 5 MP Macro: 5 MP Selfie: 32 MP 5,000 mAh April 2022 |
6.4 inch, Super AMOLED 1,080 x 2,400 pixels Exynos 1280 (Europe) 128 ROM 6 RAM Quad camera Main camera: 48 MP Ultra wide angle: 8 MP Depth: 2 MP Macro: 5 MP Selfie: 32 MP 5,000 mAh April 2022 |
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With the release of the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 in April 2022, Samsung’s most important smartphone series are ready for the 2022—in addition to the “Galaxy Z” foldables. Thus, the question of which Samsung phones you should opt for arises again. Besides the linked general overview with the best Samsung phones, we focus on the question “A or S” here?
Even though Samsung is moving its mid-range more and more into the upper class in terms of specs, there are definitely reasons why the manufacturer keeps its smartphone series separate. Therefore, we will start by looking at the differences between the two smartphone series.
Jump to:
- Galaxy A and Galaxy S: What are the differences?
- These models were released in 2021 and 2022
- What do “A” and “S” really stand for
- Differences between A and S also apply to tablets
These are the differences between “A” and “S”
The smartphone market is divided into segments such as “flagship,” “mid-range,” or “entry-level” models. Samsung’s flagship range has always been the S series, while it also produces mid-range models in the form of the A-series. New technologies like the powerful quad-camera setup in the Galaxy S22 Ultra are usually found in the more expensive models.
The S Pen is also compatible with Samsung’s most expensive smartphones alone. In 2022, the manufacturer also decided to reintegrate the stylus into the housing of one of the Galaxy models. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is thus the official replacement of the Galaxy Note series. As with Samsung’s legendary phablets, you can put the S Pen in the bottom of the housing.
In terms of build quality, you can also expect higher-quality materials like metal frames and glass elements in the S series. Samsung uses shatterproof Gorilla Glass Victus+ in all models of the S22 range, and thus offers a particularly high-quality look and feel.
When you think about the Galaxy S lineup, build quality is consistently higher compared to the current A-series models. The polycarbonate simply feels more premium in the Galaxy S21 model than the Galaxy A53, and you’ll find metal elements on the frame or camera of the phone. Also, Samsung finally ditched polycarbonate from the Galaxy S22 series.
In addition to new technologies and build quality, you can also expect better performance with the S series handsets. Samsung usually uses its own SoCs from the Exynos series in Europe and their Snapdragon counterparts in the US. Find out more about Samsung’s latest smartphone processor in our SoC “Best of” list.
With the next generation, i.e. the Galaxy S23, Samsung is rumored to change this course again and then probably rely on Qualcomm’s new flagship SoC—the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2!
In the mid-range, Samsung also dares to use its own processors in 2022. Thus, the Galaxy A53 and also the Galaxy A33 use the Exynos 1280. While we are still waiting for our review units of the A33 and A53, we cannot yet say much about the performance of Samsung’s new mid-range processors.
Compared with the S-series, however, Samsung’s new A models offer significantly larger batteries. While the Galaxy S22 offers a battery with just 3,700 milliamp hours, the manufacturer packs a hefty 5,000 milliamp hours into both the A53 and A33. Another advantage is the option to expand the internal storage with a micro-SD card.
However, you have to make allowances for the cameras. Both models come with a quad-camera, which contains rather useless sensors for macro photography and depth information. Samsung now offers setups with wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras across the board in the S-series.
A negligible factor when choosing between Galaxy A and Galaxy S is the guarantee of software updates. The lower IP67 certification against water and dust is almost on par with the IP68 certification of the top models. And the update policy of four major Android generations 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 early 2022
Six models from the Galaxy S and Galaxy A series have already been released in 2022. Beyond that, the purchase of older models from 2021 is still worthwhile since they are available as new devices with warranty and sufficient update warranty. You can find an overview of all models in the following table.
Galaxy A and Galaxy S recent releases
With a click on the respective device model, you will be able to obtain more information about that handset. These are links to our reviews, or—if not yet tested by us—to the overview pages of the models. We already published our impressions about the Galaxy S22 models, and are already working on tests for the new A-series devices.
This is what the letters “A” and “S” stand for in reality
Of course, Samsung’s two device classes are a part of the company’s marketing strategy that the company has been pursuing for a few years now. The first S model, which was simply called the Galaxy S, was released in 2010. Here, the “S” does not stand for the “Super AMOLED” display which it used before and as many have assumed, but rather, it stands for “Super Smart”.
The “A” in “Galaxy A,” on the other hand, stands for a somewhat less spectacular “Alpha”. Other Samsung designations include “Y” for “Young”, “C” for “China”, “M” for “Magic”, and “J” for “Joy”. Well, aren’t those fun facts to remember as trivia?
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 Galaxy A. Along with the Galaxy S22, Samsung also launched the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 with the Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra models.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 had already been released a few months earlier, which is more of a price-performance ratio. You see, Samsung’s nomenclature can even be applied to other product classes. So it’s not all that difficult!
Which Samsung device series do you find to be more exciting? Do you prefer the A-series or the new S series that was released this year?
Article updated in October 2022, and older comments were kept.
