We’re just a couple of weeks out from the Galaxy S22 lineup’s expected reveal at Samsung’s Feb. 9 Unpacked event — and the …
We’re just a couple of weeks out from the Galaxy S22 lineup’s expected reveal at Samsung’s Feb.9 Unpacked event — and the rumors are flying. The new lineup, which should include the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra, will likely surface with upgraded features on the inside and out, from the Android 12 operating system to new color options. A new major specs leak from German site WinFuture confirms many of the rumors we’ve heard, giving us the clearest picture yet of Samsung’s 2022 flagship. Last year’s Galaxy S21 impressed us with its solid all-round performance and better balance of features and price than the S20. The Galaxy S21 Ultra blew us away with its incredible camera setup and its ability to take superb zoomed-in shots. So what about the follow-up series? Here’s what we think the Galaxy S22 might bring. Read more: Hey, Samsung, the Galaxy S22 better have these upgrades Samsung typically launches its S-series phones in March, but it bucked that trend in 2021 by launching the S21 line in January. Although Samsung typically follows a 12-month cycle of updating its handsets, the company has confirmed an Unpacked event will happen on Feb.9, at which the Galaxy S22 is expected to be announced. The date aligns with a previous rumor from leaker Ice Universe that indicated the Galaxy S22 will be announced on that day. Promotional material about the event was also leaked by well-known tipster Evan Blass ahead of Samsung’s announcement. A report from Korean publication DDaily reckons the Galaxy S22 will be available for preorder on that day and in stores starting Feb.24. Leaker Dohyun Kim, however, predicts the Galaxy S22 Ultra may take a while to ship. In a January tweet, the tipster wrote that deliveries for the high-end model of Samsung’s upcoming phone series could take up to three months. Read more: When is the next Samsung event? Samsung could offer slightly smaller display sizes for the Galaxy S22 line. According to Twitter leaker FrontTron, the Galaxy S22 could have a 6.01-inch screen, the Galaxy S22 Plus could have a 6.55-inch screen and the Galaxy S22 Ultra could get a 6.81-inch screen. For comparison, the Galaxy S21 lineup has 6.2-,6.7- and 6.8-inch displays, respectively. The late-January WinFuture leak corroborated this rumor. Batteries might also be smaller in the Galaxy S22 lineup. FrontTron speculates that the S22 and S22 Plus will have 3,800- and 4,000-mAh batteries, respectively. Meanwhile, WinFuture suggests they’ll be 3,700 and 4,500 mAh. Both leaks say the Galaxy S22 Ultra will maintain its 5,000-mAh cell. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21 Sales of the Galaxy S20 line didn’t impress and it’s likely it had a lot to do with the generally high prices, coupled with widespread financial uncertainty for many people due to the pandemic. The S21 offered handsets at slightly more affordable prices by swapping glass back panels for toughened plastic. Here are all the differences between the Galaxy S21 and S20. At launch, the base S20 came in at $1,000 in the US, while the base S21 undercut that at $800. While we don’t expect Samsung to try and make the S22 line any cheaper, we do think it’s a safe bet that the company will try and match the approximate price of the S21, rather than increase it back to S20 levels. Speculative European pricing information for the Galaxy S22 series was revealed in a tweet from Leaker Roland Quandt. The WinFuture leak supports this pricing. Although the rumored price structure seems to be consistent with the Galaxy S21 line, the equally-priced Ultra model appears to come with less RAM than its predecessor. Quandt claims the S22 will start at 849 euros, the S22 Plus at 1,049 euros and the base S22 Ultra at 1,249 euros. That starting price of 849 euros converts to about $960, £715 or AU$1,850, but bear in mind euro prices include tax. Every base model of the Galaxy S22 could come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra also offers options for 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage, according to Quandt. If this rumor becomes a reality, the base Galaxy S22 Ultra could come with 8GB of RAM instead of the 12GB that is in the base Galaxy S21 Ultra. Previous leaks, however, speculate the Galaxy S22 line may be more expensive than we anticipated. According to tipster @chunvn8888 (a leaker who doesn’t have much of a track record compared to others), the Galaxy S22 lineup will be priced higher than the Galaxy S21 series. The standard Galaxy S22 is said to cost $899, while the Galaxy S22 Plus and S22 Ultra are rumored to be priced at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.
