Every year my friends ask me what phone to buy, especially when it’s Black Friday deals season. This year I’m just going to point to this easy answer: buy a Samsung Galaxy S22 if there’s a deal on Black Friday. Get it in your favorite color. No matter the deal, just get it, because the phone is already a great pick, so a bundle or a discount would make it even better.
I know what you’re thinking. Apple has a brand new iPhone 14. What if there’s a Black Friday iPhone deal? Skip it. There are never great deals on Apple products. You may see a slight discount or a bundle that gives you a discount if you also buy AirPods. You won’t see the sort of deals you’ll see on a Samsung phone.
If it’s a bundle deal on the Galaxy S22, go for it. We’ve enjoyed all of Samsung’s various peripheral devices. We’ve seen deals on the Galaxy S22 that include wireless earbuds, and if there’s any price break on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, go for it. Those are a great set of earbuds.
I would even tell you to go all-in on Samsung’s ecosystem. The Galaxy Watch 5 is my favorite Wear OS watch. I prefer the style of Google’s new Pixel Watch, but it’s amateur in performance compared to the Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch 5 is refined and reliable, and the battery isn’t terrible.
I'm not joking, get the Samsung, not the iPhone
Wait. This is satire, right? I’m really recommending buying a Samsung S22, and not even the big bad Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or the silly flip-folding Galaxy Z Flip 4, over an iPhone 14? Either I hit my head this morning, or I've started drinking the Samsung Kool-Aid.
Nope. Without reservation, I can say the Galaxy S22 is the better choice when there are Black Friday deals to consider.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 is a tiny bit thinner, lighter, and easier to hold than the iPhone 14. The screen is a bit brighter, and Samsung gives its base model the 120Hz refresh rate that the base model iPhone lacks. I also prefer Samsung’s always-on display to Apple’s version, but it doesn’t matter because the iPhone 14 doesn’t even have an always-on display option.
Whether it’s catching a network signal or just using Wi-Fi reliably, when I am going into tough wireless conditions, I grab a Samsung
If you want more cameras, Samsung gives you more cameras with three lenses, including a big 50MP main camera and a 3X optical zoom. The iPhone 14 doesn’t even have a real optical zoom lens, just the 12MP main camera, and an ultra wide lens.
Then there’s Samsung’s engineering and technical expertise. I have used hundreds of phones in my time reviewing smartphones, and Samsung phones handle wireless signals better than Apple phones. Whether it’s catching a network signal or just using Wi-Fi reliably, when I am going into tough wireless conditions, I grab a Samsung. There’s a reason why PC Magazine uses Samsung phones exclusively in its Best Mobile Networks testing.
The Samsung phone charges faster. It has USB-C and does a great job connecting to other devices like monitors and keyboards. You get 256GB instead of 128GB of storage. Samsung has been running a deal that gives you twice the storage for the same price. Apple charges a huge premium for that.
About FOMA - the fear of missing Apple
What will you be missing if you don’t get the iPhone? Only the stuff that is exclusive to Apple, and I’ll tell you, as someone who has switched back and forth many times, it is a good idea to break your reliance on Apple. You may not switch this Black Friday, but you’ll switch some day.
Keep messaging your friends on iMessage, but move your important contacts to a platform like WhatsApp. Definitely start synchronizing your Apple Photos library with Google Photos. Google’s service is platform agnostic, so you can use it on any phone and even on your desktop web browser.
If you’re relying on iCloud for your email instead of a universal service like Gmail, please know with peace and love that people have been judging you for this. This is the 2022 equivalent of having an Aol.com email address.
In any case, if the reason that you scoff at a deal on a Galaxy S22 is that you are physically addicted to Apple’s platform, maybe it’s time to recognize you have a problem and break the addiction, whether or not you keep your iPhone.
I’m not saying the Galaxy S22 is a better phone than the iPhone 14 (though, it might be), I’m saying they are both great phones. You may not have considered the Galaxy S22, but you should, especially if there is a Black Friday deal. You’re likely to find a better bargain, and you’ll take home a device that is worth every cent.
