The Samsung Galaxy S22 series could land soon, with a January or February 2022 launch date looking highly likely, and the leaks and rumors ...
The Samsung Galaxy S22 series could land soon, with a January or February 2022 launch date looking highly likely, and the leaks and rumors have been coming in thick and fast for all three devices in the line.
- Announcement in January or February
- Similar designs for the S22 and S22 Plus
- A new, Galaxy Note-like design for the S22 Ultra
- A glass back for all models
- An S-Pen slot for the Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Slightly different screen sizes to the S21 range
- Big camera changes planned
- Smaller batteries for all except the Ultra
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset
- 1TB internal storage option for the Ultra
These are to be the successors to 2021's Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra, but have also got the big boots of the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 to fill, with 2021's late-year flagship actually canceled, much to the chagrin of Samsung fans.
The Galaxy S22 is therefore the next big flagship from Samsung, and since the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 was cancelled, it will be the first big traditional phone from the company to come out in a year. We did see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 come out with S Pen stylus support, and the clamshell Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 launch at the same price as flagship phones – but for most consumers, the Galaxy S22 is the next big Android phone.
Below is where we’ll be collating all the leaks, rumors and news we hear about the Samsung Galaxy S22 until its launch, likely in early 2022. We’ll be keeping track of details of the Galaxy S22 release date, price, features and much more, from rumors about its new features to leaked images of what the phone could look like.
Updated January 9: The Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to be coming with support for an S Pen that's better than ever before.
Samsung Galaxy S22: what you need to know
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date: Rumors point to a February release for the Samsung Galaxy S22, with an announcement possibly on February 9. It'd then go on sale on February 25. That's not been confirmed, but we'd be surprised if it didn't land in early 2022.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price: Pricing is unknown, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, and we may be looking at a similar price again.
Design: The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus will probably look similar to their predecessors, with the S22 Ultra rumored to be getting a more angular design reminiscent of the Galaxy Note range.
Colors: A leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may come in white, black, pink gold, and green shades, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra might come in black, white, green and dark red.
Display: The Samsung Galaxy S22 is rumored to have a 6.06-inch screen, the S22 Plus a 6.55-inch one, and the S22 Ultra a 6.81-inch one. All three models are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, but that's likely to be paired with a FHD+ resolution for the cheaper two and a QHD+ resolution for the Ultra.
Camera: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP telephoto cameras have been rumored for the S22 and S22 Plus. Things are less clear for the Ultra, but it may have a 108MP main snapper, a 12MP ultra-wide, and two 10MP telephotos.
Specs: Expect either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset depending on region, coupled possibly with the same RAM and storage amounts as the S21 range. That would mean up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in the Ultra model, or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage in the other models. We've seen a recent report hinting at as much as 1TB of storage for the S22 Ultra, mind.
Battery: Leaks point to a 3,700mAh battery in the S22, 4,500mAh in the S22 Plus, and 5,000mAh in the S22 Ultra. Other than the Ultra those would all be smaller than the batteries in the S21 range. Charging speed on the S22 Ultra might be improved though, possibly coming in at 45W.
Samsung Galaxy S22 release date
Most early Samsung Galaxy S22 release date rumors pointed to January 2022, but it would now appear that a February launch is more likely.
Multiple sources have now pointed to February, with leaker Jon Prosser saying the phone will be unveiled on February 9, then sold on February 25. That's updated information as he intitally believed it would arrive on February 8.
That rough time frame makes sense, as we’d expect Samsung to follow a similar schedule to its 2021 plans where the company pulled forward its launch compared to previous years and revealed the phone in mid-January.
We've also heard that the phones entered mass production in late October, which would likely work for a late January or early February launch, as would their December appearance on the FCC's database and Samsung China's website.
Does that mean we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy S22 series in January or February 2022? There’s no guarantee, and another leak suggested that the company pushed back its reveal to ensure it could reveal the Galaxy S21 FE on January 3.
Samsung could decide to default back to its usual flagship release window and push the phone out in March. That said, the company may even bring the launch forward and announce the handsets even earlier.
That's specifically been rumored, with a leaker suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S22 range could land in December.
An earlier launch is especially possible since there won't be a Samsung Galaxy Note 21, and since the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE might also have been canceled, meaning there could otherwise be a big gap between mainstream (read: non-foldable) Samsung flagships. But we doubt Samsung would launch two S numbers in one year.
So while no-one knows yet what to expect from Samsung, our best guess for now is a February launch.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price
So far we don't know anything for sure about the price of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range, but we’d expect it will be around the same price as the Galaxy S21 range when it launched.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249, the S21 Plus started at $999 / £949 / AU$1,549, and the S21 Ultra started at $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849.
Samsung Galaxy S22 design
The overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be very similar to the current range, according to one leak, so don't expect big visual changes - other than for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which might be significantly different.
A leaked press image of the upcoming phones shows us the Galaxy S22 Ultra next to either the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus. It's our best look at the upcoming handsets, and you can see it below.
This heavily suggests the Galaxy S22 Ultra (the phone in red) will come with a more Note-like design that has square edges as well as an S Pen and five rear cameras. The S22 or S22 Plus looks to come in white, it'll have a similar design to the Galaxy S21 with rounded edges and it has three cameras on the rear.
The whole Galaxy S22 range has been spotted in the form of dummy units thanks to case retailer Mobile Fun. The below photos show us what we can expect from the design of the each of the handsets.
We've also seen unofficial renders of all three handsets, from a reliable source, that shows the S22 and the S22 Plus will likely stick with the conventional look of their predecessors, while the S22 Ultra goes for something a little bit different. We've also seen a leaked backplate for the S22 Ultra showing a similar design to what you've seen above.
These renders also come with whispers that these phones will actually be called the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 22 Ultra. The talk so far has been that the S22 Ultra might replace the Note 22, and if these leaks are right, that's going to come to pass. Another source has chimed in saying the biggest phone will be called the S22 Note.
Based on these renders, the S22 Ultra (or Note 22 Ultra) has a look that's distinctly different from the S22 and the S22 Plus (or S22 Pro) – and it's very reminiscent of what we've seen from Note handsets in the past. Last year's S21 Ultra supported the S Pen stylus, and so should its follow-up.
We've also now seen additional unofficial renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22, which show a camera block with slightly less rounded corners than the Galaxy S21, and a flatter back to the phone, but an otherwise similar design. You can see some of these above.
And we've even now seen hands-on photos that seem to show the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as you can see below. These match some of the leaks above, complete with an S Pen slot, a curved screen, and cameras that individually jut out from the rear, rather than being housed in a block. Meanwhile, the S Pen is rumored to be more responsive than ever.
Since then, leaked photos of the other S22 models have also emerged. You can see these below and they only show the back, but details include a new glossy finish for the S22 and S22 Plus, along with camera lenses that stick out.
These come from reputable sources too, so while we'd take them with a pinch of salt, they may well be accurate.
These photos were also quickly followed by a video of what might be the same units, but this time we glimpse the front too.
Case renders for the three phones have also now leaked, and these show a similar design to the images above, complete with a Note-like overhaul for the S22 Ultra, and even an S Pen slot. A second set of case images for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have also emerged, sporting the same design but with a purple color scheme.
Breaking：Samsung phone protective case manufacturer has begun to build S22 series protective case . We can see that the camera area is just like our rendered drawing, but unfortunately, It just knows the shape of this area, whether it is “P”or “11” , and he does not know. pic.twitter.com/yYtZF8lZXlSeptember 30, 2021
Leaked images of tempered glass screen protectors meanwhile suggest that the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus might be slightly thicker and more rounded than their predecessors, but again should otherwise be similar - though one leak points to them having flatter backs.
Speaking of the backs, one source says that all three models will use glass, which would be a change from the S21 range, where the basic model had a plastic rear.
We've also now seen what appears to be a screen protector for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and this matches other leaks in having very angular corners.
We've even heard possible dimensions and weights for the Galaxy S22 range. These come from leaker Ice Universe, who claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 is 146 x 70 x 7.6mm and 167g, the Galaxy S22 Plus is 157.4 x 75.8 x 7.6mm and 195g, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra is 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm and 228g. For the most part that would make these phones marginally smaller than their predecessors.
Samsung Galaxy S22 display
We might see slightly different screen sizes with the Samsung Galaxy S22 range to the Galaxy S21, with multiple sources claiming that the Galaxy S22 will have a 6.06-inch screen (down from 6.2 inches on the S21), the Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 6.55-inch one (down from 6.7) and the S22 Ultra might have a 6.81-inch one (up from 6.8).
This matches with a leak from UniverseIce that shows off screen protectors for all three new devices, with similar sizes to what we've heard about above.
pic.twitter.com/l54ug20trdNovember 27, 2021
Additionally, this source claims that only the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have an LTPO display, meaning it's likely to be the only model with a variable refresh rate.
We've heard the same screen sizes from another source, complete with 120Hz refresh rates paired with a FHD+ resolution on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, and a QHD+ one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
More specifically, a source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus have a 1080 x 2340 display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 1440 x 3088 one with a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. That would actually make for slight resolution downgrades from their predecessors.
Elsewhere, a leaker has said that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have the brightest screen Samsung has ever put on a phone.
The range might not have particularly curved screens though, with leaks suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have flat displays, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra might only have a very slight curve.
Samsung Galaxy S22 colors
If you weren't fond of the colors offered by the Galaxy S21 range you might be in luck, as one source claims that the colors might be different for the upcoming models.
They say that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will come in white, black, rose gold, and green colors, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will come in a choice of black, white or dark red, with another source adding green to the mix.
Another source has helped to back up that green rumor for all these handsets, and you can see the Galaxy S22 in that leaked color below.
We've since heard that exact selection of colors (including green for the S22 Ultra) again, so these colors are looking likely. Leaks also suggest that the specific green offered by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could be the one shown in the image above, created by LetsGoDigital.
Another source speaking to LetsGoDigital has claimed that the rose gold color on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus may be more pink than in previous iterations. You can see what they believe the shade will look like below:
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S21 comes in violet, grey, white and pink, the S21 Plus in black, silver, gold, violet and red, and the S21 Ultra comes in black, silver, titanium, navy and brown.
So the green Samsung Galaxy S22 shade could be quite different to anything we've seen from the current models if this leak is right.
Samsung Galaxy S22 camera
On the camera front we've heard from one leaker that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus will have a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto (capable of 3x optical zoom), That would be quite a change from the 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 64MP telephoto of their predecessors, and we've heard a similar claim from another source too.
That idea isn't unanimous though, as various leakers have had slightly different ideas about the cameras. Case in point, a popular one has echoed the above specs but suggested the telephoto will be 10MP.
It also sounds very much like the Galaxy S22 won't have a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor on its rear camera setup. That's no real surprise – it wasn't on the Galaxy S21 either – but it might disappoint those who wanted it to make a return.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, one report originally suggested it could have a 200MP main camera and an under-display selfie camera. We've since heard the 200MP claim again, along with a claim that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a penta-lens camera with Olympus tech. That Olympus partnership is also something we've heard more than once.
That said, several reports since then have suggested that Samsung won't be including a 200MP sensor, and instead it will go for a 108MP sensor with a "polish" that we haven't seen on previous versions.
We've heard a similar report elsewhere, suggesting that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a 108MP main camera, two 12MP telephoto ones, and a 12MP ultra-wide, while the other two models will have the camera configurations leaked above (a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto).
That report has been backed up in another leak that we heard in January 2022, which also suggested the Ultra will come with a feature called Super Clear Lens. It's thought this will use Gorilla Glass technology on the phone's main camera to reduce glare and reflections when using it.
The zoom potential of these phones might be the same as the S21 range as well, with the S22 and S22 Plus said to offer 3x optical zoom, and the S22 Ultra both 3x and 10x. That's a claim we've now heard multiple times, though one source points to the Ultra's zoom snappers being 10MP rather than 12MP.
In fact, another source now points to all the megapixel counts on the Galaxy S22 Ultra's cameras being the same as the S21 Ultra, albeit with slightly different pixel and sensor sizes. That source has since reiterated the claim, so they seem confident of it.
However, while the core specs might be similar, some of the camera abilities might be new or improved, with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rumored to have a macro mode, improvements to night mode, and - thanks to AI - better general shots.
The rumored under-display selfie camera is looking in doubt though, as a source has since said that the Galaxy S22 won't have this, because the quality apparently isn't high enough, the camera itself is still supposedly slightly visible under the screen, and Samsung simply can't build enough of them right now.
One source also says to expect continuous optical zoom, meaning that all of the zoom levels up to its maximum optical (likely 10x) would be optical, where most phones have to fall back on digital or hybrid zoom for the middle zoom ranges.
However, given that multiple sources point to the S22 Ultra having two zoom cameras, we're not convinced it would also sport continuous optical zoom, as having two shouldn't be so necessary if it did.
You can see how the camera modules for all three phones might look in the leaked image below.
We've also now heard about the front-facing cameras of the range, with the three phones apparently having the same ones as their predecessors, namely 10MP on the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 40MP on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 specs and features
One source says to expect an Exynos 2200 chipset that would be paired with an AMD GPU. This is something we've heard before, as one much older leak suggested Samsung was working on a new chipset in collaboration with AMD.
This AMD partnership has since been confirmed, and we now know that it will bring ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities to the chipset, and therefore presumably to the Samsung Galaxy S22.
That said, a leaker claims that Samsung has struggled with producing this chipset, which might mean most places get a Snapdragon one instead (likely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1). We've since heard that two CPUs will indeed be used and that most regions will get the Snapdragon version.
Most recently we've heard that the production problems are great enough that all regions might get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This chipset has been revealed by Qualcomm, and promises a 20% faster CPU, 30% less power use (for better battery life), and more.
Other spec leaks include claims that the RAM and storage amounts won't change from the Galaxy S21 range, with one source saying to expect 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, and 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Indeed, a benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus lists 8GB of RAM, like its predecessor. This is for the Exynos 2200 model, and the scores achieved are worryingly low - but it seems the phone might have been in a power-saving mode for some reason, which would explain it.
That being said, another report has suggested the Galaxy S22 Ultra will come equipped with an iPhone 13-matching 1TB of internal storage. With the high-end device likely to be able to capture 8K video, a 1TB storage option makes a lot of sense - it just remains to be seen whether this will be the only model to offer it.
What's more, while the RAM might stay the same in terms of quantities, Samsung might use higher speed RAM, as it's announced RAM that's over 1.3x faster while consuming almost 20% less power - though the company hasn't confirmed whether this RAM will be used in the Galaxy S22 range.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S22 range might have vapor chambers to keep them cool. This is a feature that Samsung has used before, but not in every recent flagship. However, the company is reportedly considering bringing them back for its 2022 flagships, likely including the Galaxy S22 range.
While keeping the internals of phones cool is vital to maintaining optimal performance though, vapor chambers aren't the only way to achieve this, so it's not necessarily a loss if the Galaxy S22 range doesn't end up with one.
Finally, it's also rumored that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will support Samsung's S Pen stylus, which is likely given that the S21 Ultra does. However, the upcoming phone will probably go so far as to have a slot for it, which the S21 Ultra doesn't.
Samsung Galaxy S22 battery
As for the battery, one leak suggests a 3,800mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy S22, a 4,600mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Plus, and a 5,000mAh one in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Those sizes would all be slight downgrades on the Galaxy S21 range, except the S22 Ultra, which would have the same size battery if this is right.
Elsewhere we've heard that the battery in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus might be even smaller, at 4,500mAh. That size has been spotted multiple times now, as has 5,000mAh for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 meanwhile could get an even smaller 3,700mAh battery according to more than one source – that would be the 'typical' capacity (which is what tends to be advertised), while the 'rated' capacity would apparently be 3,590mAh, and it's a claim we've now heard three times.
Beyond that, Samsung itself has confirmed that it won’t be including chargers in the box with future smartphones, so you should expect to buy a separate charger alongside your Samsung flagship if you’re not already equipped with one.
And one piece of information has also emerged about the charging speed, as apparently Samsung is testing 45W or 65W powering. Either would be a big improvement on the 25W of the S21 series, though the S20 Ultra had 45W.
In particular, 45W powering has been rumored many times now, but apparently only on the S22 Ultra. That figure is still quite a bit below the competition, with other mid-range and premium Android handsets ranging from 65W to 120W.
There's also a chance that the whole range will be stuck with 25W charging, as a certification listing suggests as much.
However, whether wired charging gets a boost or note, wireless might, with evidence of a 25W wireless charger being in the works - that would be up from 15W on the Galaxy S21 range.
What we want to see from Samsung S22
While we wait to hear more about the Samsung Galaxy S22, we've put our heads together to think of some improvements we'd like to see the company make in its next flagship series.
1. Bring back microSD support
This is a simple one, and it's a clear step down from Samsung, as the company has almost always offered microSD support in its smartphones. For those unclear on the situation, the Samsung Galaxy S21 range doesn't feature a microSD card slot, meaning you won't be able to expand the storage.
Bought the 128GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra? You're stuck with that amount of storage no matter how long you use the phone. This is the case from other brands such as Apple, but we preferred it when Samsung offered the option to expand your storage.
2. Include better storage options
On the topic of storage, the Galaxy S22 range should offer further storage options for people to choose from. That's especially true if the company does decide it doesn't want to offer microSD card support again.
The Galaxy S21, for example, is just available in 128GB and 256GB storage sizes. If you want more space, you've got to opt for the larger Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The rumors of a 1TB storage option on the S22 Ultra are promising, at least.
3. Drop the price further
The Samsung Galaxy S21 range dropped in price compared to 2020's smartphones, and that's an admirable feat from the company, but we'd like to see the prices drop even further in 2022.
Of course, this is a big ask. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is full of top-end tech, and it's unlikely the company will be able to drop the price down any further than it did with 2021's phone.
That said, there were a lot of spec drops when comparing the Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S20. If the company continues to offer slightly lower specs than we're used to, we'd like to see the price drop down further to reflect that.
4. Make the standard editions more exciting
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus may not be the most exciting smartphones, but they're still a great choice. We gave each of them four stars on TechRadar, and we went up to four and a half stars for the slightly more innovative Galaxy S21 Ultra.
We don't know how, but we'd like to see some more features trickle down to those two cheaper handsets that are almost certain to launch in 2022. We'd like to see the company bring top-end features like S Pen stylus support or the 100x digital zoom telephoto camera.
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus were a bit of a downgrade on their predecessors, so we'd like to see Samsung make the next models a touch more exciting when they arrive in 2022.
5. Avoid Glasstic
This isn't something that everyone cares about, but the Galaxy S21 moved away from a glass rear and switched to a Glasstic back. That's Samsung's own name for a plastic and glass hybrid, and it doesn't feel as premium.
Both the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra stuck with glass, and we'd like to see the company opt for that material on every Samsung Galaxy S22 model considering the price of these smartphones.
6. Increased stylus support on the Ultra
You no longer have to buy a Galaxy Note smartphone to experience the benefits of a Samsung stylus; you can now opt for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. We found the stylus experience to be helpful, and for those who want to have the accessory it's a great option.
That said, the S Pen support isn't as extensive as it is on the Galaxy Note range. You have to opt for the S Pen Pro, for example, to be able to get some features, but that isn't yet available. We're hoping in 2022 that Samsung's S Pen functionality for its S series will be more fully formed.
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