What to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphones that will be released in the near future.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 will be one of the most exciting phones to come out in the next four months. The debut of a Galaxy S series phone is always one of the most widely anticipated events on the tech calendar, and the next one will be no exception.
This is because, while we're anticipating the now-customary trio of Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra handsets, this year's flagship handset appears to be considerably different from last year's Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
This is due to the fact that the S22 Ultra appears to be the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, featuring full S Pen digital stylus functionality.
We'll go through everything we know about the S22 phone series right now, as well as where it's likely to rank in our overall top Samsung phone rating.
Image Credit: Samsung
NEWS ON THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22
The revelation that the phone's Samsung-made chipset, the Exynos 2200, features a GPU powered by AMD's RDNA 2 graphics architecture is exciting news for gamers who are interested in the S22 series.
For the uninitiated, this is the same graphics architecture used in the PS5 and Xbox Series X game consoles, and while the magnitude of the gaming power supplied isn't the same, it indicates that the S22 series will deliver exceptional mobile gaming performance.
Of course, this is excellent news mostly for Galaxy S22 buyers outside of the United States, where the South Korean manufacturer sells phones with Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs rather than Adreno graphics chips.
DATE OF RELEASE OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22
The most recent rumors about a potential Samsung Galaxy S22 release date point to early February 2022. Ice universe, Samsung's most famous leaker, mentioned February 8th in a tweet, and we've also heard rumors that the S22 will not be released in January due to the arrival of the S21 FE that month instead.
However, no official release date for the Samsung Galaxy S22 has been announced as of yet. Previous handsets can provide us with some hints. What complicates matters is that the launch date for the Galaxy S series has been getting earlier and earlier with each passing year.
The Samsung Galaxy S8, for example, was released in March 2017, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S9, S10, and S20, all of which were released in February (though the date kept creeping towards the start of the month by a few days each time).
The Samsung Galaxy S21 then appeared in January 2021, just 14 days into the new year.
Most commentators believe the Galaxy S22 will not be released in the same year, despite some rumors indicating a December 2021 release, so it appears to be a safe bet that it will be released in January or February 2022.
The difference this year is that CES (Consumer Electronics Show) will be held again in 2022 (5 January - 8 January), which may cause Samsung to wait until it is over before making any moves. This could also lead to it resuming its previous schedule of releasing phones closer to MWC.
Right now, however, an early to mid-February release date appears to be the most likely.
Image Credit: Samsung
SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 PRICE
The only rumored information we've had about the Samsung Galaxy S22 price so far indicates that the range will see a price increase. According to tech tipster @TheGalox_ on Twitter, we could see "a $50 increase on base and, at maximum, a $100 increase on larger models."
These price increases appear to be caused by an increase in the base level of internal storage, which has risen to 256GB for the Galaxy S22 Plus and Ultra.
The standard S21 now starts at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, goes up to $999 / £949 / AU$1,549 for the S21 Plus edition, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra model first goes on sale at $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849.
An S22 price point that adds another $50 to $100 to the price feels entirely possible, putting the base S22 phone at $849.
What complicates S22 pricing this year is that the S22 Ultra could take the form of the next true Galaxy Note phone, which means you'll have to factor in a S Pen digital stylus.
You also have to consider the global chip shortage, which every manufacturer is experiencing.
However, it is far from certain that Samsung will launch at those prices, and as is customary, we will likely learn the final price at the conclusion of the S22 launch event.
S22 SPECS
To date, the Samsung Galaxy S22 specs sheet has revealed that the range will use either the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 895, which is a 4nm chip, or the South Korean firm's own Exynos 2200 processor.
This CPU boost will be accompanied by a GPU boost, thanks to AMD's RDNA 2 architecture, which is built into the system-on-chip (SoC). That seems to indicate that the Galaxy S22 will be a safe bet for our list of the best gaming phones.
This significant gaming power appears to be supported by an Ice Universe leak, which claims to show the result of the Exynos 2200 paired with this new AMD GPU in the 3DMark Wild Life benchmark.
The processor used by the S22 will be determined largely by the territory in which it is sold, with the US traditionally using Snapdragon chips and the rest of the world using Exynos.
Another big unknown is whether the Snapdragon chip will have access to the new AMD GPU. That is currently unknown.
However, we have an idea of what DRAM the Samsung Galaxy S22 series could use, with Samsung's recently announced LPDDR5X appearing to be ready for installation. This RAM is 1.3x faster than existing LPDDR5X RAM and uses 20% less power.
SCREEN FOR THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22
The Samsung Galaxy S22 appears to have a slightly smaller screen than the Galaxy S21. This comes after a well-known Samsung leakster claimed that the S22 would be the company's "smallest flagship phone in recent years," and that it would be "smaller than the iPhone 13."
Because the Samsung Galaxy S21 had a 6.2-inch screen, the Galaxy S22 is expected to have a 6.1-inch or even 6-inch display. This appears to be supported by Ice universe dimensions released by Samsung's leakster-in-chief for each handset in the lineup.
S22 146×70×7.6 167g
S22+ 157.4×75.8x7.6 195g
S22 Ultra 163.3×77.9×8.9 228g
This reduction appears to be followed by the S22 Plus, as well, though the S22 Ultra remains a bit of a mystery, especially given its potential adoption of the Galaxy Note S Pen functionality. Essentially, it is much more difficult to predict whether or not the Ultra will have a smaller screen.
Regardless, this is what we believe we might see. The Galaxy S22 is expected to have a 6.06-inch screen (down from 6.2 inches on the S21), the S22 Plus will have a 6.5-inch screen (down from 6.7 inches), and the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have the largest screen of all three handsets at 6.81 inches (down from 6.9 inches).
CAMERAS FOR THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22
The first rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S22 cameras said that the South Korean company will partner with Olympus to develop a new camera system, however this appears to be false.
We have heard a lot of rumors that the S22 would be the first Samsung phone to include an under-display selfie camera. Regrettably, this has been quashed since then.
Other early speculations stated that the S22 Ultra's flagship phone will include a 200MP rear camera sensor, but it appears to be way off the mark, as our most recent research on the S22's main sensor indicates that it will be a 108MP sensor instead.
According to our most recent knowledge, the basic S22 and S22 Plus will both include 50MP primary sensors as well as 12MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses. While a 50MP RGBW front selfie camera sensor has been speculated for all phones.
In terms of video, leaked material claims that the S22 would be able to record video at up to 60 frames per second at 8K quality, which, if accurate, would be a significant advance over its predecessor, which could only handle 8K at 24fps.
SUPPORT FOR THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 S PEN
Yes, you read that correctly. According to a series of rumors, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will include complete S Pen functionality. The S22 Ultra will come with a S Pen cavity and a S Pen, unlike the S21 Ultra, which could be used with a digital pen but didn't come with one or have the ability to carry one.
According to the rumors, this will be accomplished by redesigning the flagship handset in the line to have more squared-off corners, as well as a tweak to the S21 Ultra's camera array, among other things. These alterations are thought to be made to allow for the inclusion of a S Pen storage and charging chamber in the phone.
If the S22 Ultra includes full S Pen functionality, it will be the rightful successor to Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 series, which was the final in the Note series before it was discontinued.
Image credit: Samsung
S22 DESIGNS
The Galaxy S21 phones differed significantly from the Galaxy S20 devices that preceded them in terms of design — at least in comparison. The wraparound camera module was a smart choice in our opinion, and it doesn't appear that Samsung will abandon it with the S22 and S22 Plus after just one year.
The S22, on the other hand, appears to be getting some minor design tweaks. The relationship between the frame and the camera has altered, and the S22 and S22 Plus will have symmetrical bezels, according to Ice universe, Samsung's most reliable leaker.
And while we're on the subject of colors, we've also received some leaked information on the colors that the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra will be available in. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ will be available in White, Black, Rose Gold, and Green colorways, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be available in White, Black, and a new Dark Red finish, according to GalaxyClub.
Of course, there's one large unseen elephant in the S22 design room right now, and that's the S22 Ultra. If it is developing into the next Note, its design could be quite different from the S21 Ultra, and the only information we have so far is that it would appear like a cross between a Galaxy Note Ultra and a Galaxy S Ultra.
BATTERY FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY S22
The Samsung Galaxy S22 battery has been heavily rumored to support 45W charging, which mysteriously vanished on the Galaxy S21 series despite Samsung's previous deployment of the technology.
So far, we've heard that the battery capacities on the S22 range will be reduced compared to the previous generation, with tipster Ice universe claiming the S22 will only feature a 3,700mAh stack.
However, while capacities appear to be decreasing, we may see the same or better battery life results, as a leak suggests the new range may use some energy-saving new OLED screen technology.
WHEN TO EXPECT SAMSUNG S22 CASES ON CASESHOPPE?
We at CaseShoppe will add the cases for Samsung S22, Plus and Ultra models within a few days of an official launch. This is because our manufacturer needs to verify the exact dimensions of the phone and camera lenses. You may subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates or check back in few days to see our new and beautiful Samsung S22 cases.