Image credit: LetsGoDigital
Hold fast, we are just weeks away from the Galaxy S22 announcement in early February! The most premium and advanced model will be the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which will come with its own S Pen stylus and more posh design in comparison with the more “humble” Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+, which will feature less sophisticated design and not as impressive hardware.
UPDATE: Samsung has launched the Galaxy S22 series preorder reservations, and you can earn $50 credit for reserving the phones early from the links below, plus some “exclusive offers” that will be revealed when the preorder period starts.
Galaxy S22 Release date
The official date for the Galaxy S22 series announcement is finally here: Samsung has set the sights on February 9, when the Galaxy Unpacked event will be livestreamed on Samsung.com at 10 AM ET | 7 AM PT.
Pre-orders reservations are already live, with official pre-orders reportedly kicking in on February 9 as well. The global market availability of the Galaxy S22 devices is seemingly scheduled for February 25. That’s also when pre-orders are expected to ship to those who have pre-ordered any of the phones, though as it usually happens, some may get their phones earlier than others.
Here’s how this announcement/release window stacks up to some of the previous Galaxy flagships:
| Model | Announcement date | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S22 series | February 9, 2022 (rumored) | February 25, 2022 (rumored) |
| Galaxy S21 series | January 14, 2021 | January 29, 2021 |
| Galaxy S20 series | February 11, 2020 | March 6, 2020 |
| Galaxy S10 series | February 20, 2019 | March 8, 2019 |
Galaxy S22 Price
We expect the price spread to vary between the $800 and $900 for the regular Galaxy S22, $1000-$1,100 for the Galaxy S22+, and finally, $1,200-$1,400 for the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Hopefully, the Galaxy S22 wouldn’t deviate much from those prices.
Recent rumors claim that the most affordable new Galaxy won’t be more expensive than its predecessor and will start at the same price: $799. However, this courtesy won’t extend to the other two phones, so the price breakdown will probably look like this:
- Samsung Galaxy S22 launch price: $799 (no change vs Galaxy S21)
- Samsung Galaxy S22+ launch price: $1049 ($50 more than S21+)
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra launch price: $1299 ($100 more than S21 Ultra)
However, a couple of days ago, @FrontPageTech came up with these potential prices for the Galaxy S22 family:
- Galaxy S22 launch price: $799 (no change vs Galaxy S21)
- Galaxy S22 Plus: $999 (no change vs S21+)
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: $1,199 (no change vs S21 Ultra)
Galaxy S22 Name
So far, the naming of the Galaxy S22 series isn’t exactly set in stone. For example, the mid-sized version of the Galaxy S22 could actually carry the Galaxy S22 Pro name. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 will likely continue carrying this name, but the range-topping model could not be called Galaxy S22 Ultra. Instead, due to the S Pen stylus that would make the rounds on the phone, the device could carry the Galaxy Note 22 Ultra name. Regardless of the naming, one thing is certain according to the the rumor – we are indeed getting three new devices.
However, some of the most recent rumors are hinting that Samsung could pull a reversal by killing the Galaxy S22 Ultra and actually releasing a Galaxy Note 22. This makes sense considering that the leaked pictures and all the rumors so far paint a phone that’s cut out of the same cloth as the previous Galaxy Note devices. So, this could make perfect sense.
Galaxy S22 Camera
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: 108MP main with f/1.8 aperture, 12MP ultra-wide-angle, 10MP 3X telephoto with f/2.4 aperture and OIS, 10MP 10X telephoto with f/4.9 aperture and OIS
- Galaxy S22+: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X telephoto, 10MP selfie camera
- Galaxy S22: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X telephoto, 10MP selfie camera
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to employ an improved ISOCELL HM3 sensor with a 108-megapixel count, 1/1.33-inch size, 0.8 nanometer pixels, and f/1.8 aperture. Generally, that’s the same hardware that debuted on the Galaxy S20 Ultra and was later used on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but of course, Samsung has by no means rested on its laurels, so we expect great improvements in comparison with the ex-flagships. In particular, Samsung leakster Ice Universe says that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be able to shoot out more detailed 108MP pictures. Still, by default, the camera will churn out 12MP pixel-binned images instead of large and super-detailed 108MP shots.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ might come with the new 50MP ISOCEL GN5 camera sensor. The main strength and selling point of this new 50MP sensor is its super auto-focusing speed which has been achieved thanks to using many more photodiodes — nearly a million.
These allow for nearly instant auto-focus, as claimed by Samsung. This sensor is packing 1.0-micron pixels, which is slightly smaller than the 1.4-micron pixels on the ISOCELL GN2, launched earlier in 2021.
We should keep in mind and remember that merely half of a good photo is produced by the hardware, with software and computational photography responsible for the rest. Samsung will certainly improve those important aspects of the camera experience, though we probably wouldn’t catch wind of that until the official announcement of the devices. After all, it’s much harder to leak software algorithms.
Galaxy S22 Storage
Rumor has it the Galaxy S22 will arrive with 128GB of base storage on board, but 256GB, 512GB, and even a 1TB versions for the Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra are totally not out of the question.
Indeed, after the iPhone 13 Pro Max scored a 1TB storage option for the ultimate iOS power-users out there, it only makes sense that the range-topping Galaxy S22 Ultra (or Note 22 Ultra, if that name sticks) would get one as well. Sadly, there are reports that the microSD card slot won’t be making a return, which limits the potential storage options to the native ones.
Will the Galaxy S22 have microSD storage?
No, the Galaxy S22 won’t have a microSD card slot, which spells bad luck for those who’ve been holding their breaths for one. The Galaxy S20 series was the last to feature such a storage expansion opportunity, but as the Galaxy S21 dropped it, the Galaxy S22 is unlikely to bring it back.
Galaxy S22 Design
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has recently leaked in the flesh. The first unexpected change that strikes us is the lack of a dedicated camera island where all the camera lenses reside. Indeed, the Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra featured quite the prominent camera islands, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra completely does away with this important design element and substitutes it for… well, nothing really.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with camera lenses that stick out directly out of the phone’s rear panel in a P-shape. Certainly a callback to simpler times when cameras were a lot less imposing from a visual standpoint, but the lack of a camera island that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent times would certainly require some getting used to, though it certainly looks elegant. Maybe Samsung leaked the S22 Ultra in advance so that people could get used to the new camera design?
Galaxy S22 Ultra leaked renders
Another important takeaway from the leaked images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the slightly curved display, which trumps the rumors that claimed Samsung will be going for an all-flat screen this time around. Judging from the leaked photos, the S22 Ultra could feature a slightly more curved display than the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but that remains to be seen once the phones become official or even more credible leaks catch our attention.
Galaxy S22 Ultra real-life leaked images
Galaxy S22 Ultra leaked press assets
Galaxy S22+ leaked renders
Galaxy S22+ leaked press assets
Another important tidbit regards the bezels at the front. According to IceUniverse, the prolific leaker of everything Samsung-related, the company has taken a page out of Apple’s design book and reportedly adorned the Galaxy S22 line with symmetrical bezels on all sides. As a refresher, most of Samsung’s bezel-less smartphones in the past few years have featured a slightly thicker bottom bezel in comparison with the top and side ones.
Galaxy S22 leaked renders
Finally, all three models will reportedly shed some weight. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will weigh 228 (1gr less than the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G with mmWave on deck), while the Galaxy S22 reportedly weighs in at 167 grams, down from 169 grams on the lightest Galaxy S21 model. On the other hand, the Galaxy S22+ will land at 195 grams compared to the 200 grams of the Galaxy S21+.
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: black, white, dark red, green, bronze (rumored)
- Galaxy S22+: black, blue, gray, purple, beige, white, green, rose gold
- Galaxy S22: black, green, pink gold, white
The latest we have on the build materials is that all three will be made of real glass and not the plastic as it was previously rumored. Moreover, Samsung will be using glossy glass similar to the one found on the Galaxy S20 series and unlike the matte finish on the previous Galaxy S21 series. The Galaxy S20 FE was the first phone to feature this so-called “glasstic” material, which has the near-exact feeling of glass, but is not nearly as fragile as the pure glass backs of the other Galaxy S20 devices.
Galaxy S22 Display
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: 6.81″ LTPO AMOLED
- Galaxy S22+: 6.55″ LTPO AMOLED
- Galaxy S22: 6.06″ LTPO AMOLED
Thanks to Samsung’s latest advances, we can expect displays with variable refresh rate that intelligently switch between the available levels with power-savings in mind. Both the Galaxy S21 and the S21+ features displays that can switch between 48 and 120Hz, while the S21 Ultra can do so all the way down to 10Hz. Hopefully, all of next year’s phones will get the improved version of that technology on deck for even greater efficiency.
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Galaxy S22 Hardware and specs
While we had heard that Samsung was planning to equip all Galaxy S22 devices around the globe with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 1 chipset and completely skip using its own Exynos chips, recent rumors indicate that the Exynos version will still grace some markets. Europe and certain Asian markets will be getting Exynos 2200 chipsets instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors that will be sold in all other markets, notably the US and East Asia. Here’s a leaked rundown of the region and the chipset it might be getting:
- Europe: Exynos
- North America: Snapdragon
- South America: Snapdragon
- East Asia: Snapdragon
- South East Asia/Oceania: Snapdragon
- West Asia: Exynos & Snapdragon
- Middle East Asia: Exynos & Snapdragon
- Africa: Exynos & Snapdragon
This could be a “first” for Samsung, which usually favors its own Exynos chipsets in most regions across the globe, but relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets in the US and a few other key markets. The Galaxy S21 series, for example, comes with the Snapdragon 888 chip in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, but utilizes the Exynos 2100 chipset elsewhere. However, issues with the production of such great numbers of chipsets has forced Samsung to rely on the top Snapdragon chipset in way more regions than usual.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The top Qualcomm chipset right now is built with a 4nm manufacturing process and comes with a high-performance Cortex-X2 core at 3000 MHz, three Cortex-A710 cores running at 2500 MHz, and Cortex-A510 cores clocked at up to 1800 MHz. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is also the first chipset to feature a X65 5G modem to theoretically capable of reaching 10 Gigabit download speeds. There’s also an 18-bit image signal processor, the first on a mobile chipset, and the chipset also supports 8K HDR10+.
Exynos 2200
The 4nm Exynos 2200 sports the latest and greatest Arm-based CPU cores and an upgraded neural processing unit (NPU) to give the component a powerful edge in mobile gaming, photography, and social media apps. The octa-core chip uses a tri-cluster design featuring one Cortex-X2 flagship core, three performance and efficiency-focused Cortex-A710 big-cores, and four power-efficient Cortex-A510 little-cores. It also comes with the AMD RDNA 2 GPU, which brings ray tracing to mobile GPUs for the very first time and promises exceptional gaming performance.
Galaxy S22 Battery and charging
- Galaxy S22: 3,700mAh
- Galaxy S22+: 4,500mAh
- Galaxy S22 Ultra: 5,000mAh
As everything with the Galaxy S22 has already leaked, even the 45W charging brick meant to go along with the Galaxy S22 (but is to be sold separately) has leaked. Twitter user Roland Quandt published an image of the Samsung 45W PD charger’s box with model number EP-T4510. Pictured on the box is the charger itself, alongside the included USB Type-C to USB Type-C 1.8m long cable.
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