Samsung Galaxy S22

At least that's according to data from SellCell. They compared value retention of the Galaxy S22 with that of Apple's iPhone 13. If you walk out of the store with a S22, your device is immediately worth 47% less. With the iPhone 13 it is "only" 19%.

After two months, that even drops to 16.4% for the Apple iPhone 13. The figures will surprise few people who ever search for used iPhones. Their prices are higher than phones from the competition. It is striking that even the Pixel 6 manages to retain its value better than Samsung. Although at 42%, it doesn't even differ that much.

iPhone retains its value better

And yet there is still a device that scores worse than the Galaxy S22 but it also comes from Samsung. The Galaxy S22+ loses a whopping 57.5% of its value after one month. Apple's counterpart, the iPhone 13 Pro Max actually scores the best. 1 month later, its price is only 4.7% lower.

One possible reason why iPhones hold their value so well is their reputation. Some people would rather be seen with an iPhone than with anything else. iPhones also feel faster for longer, partly because of Apple's processor advantage. And another explanation could be that Apple offers more extended software support, although Samsung has recently improved on this.

Heat and processors do not go well together. It shortens the lifespan of a chipset but fortunately there is a simple solution; "Thermal Throttling". The software simply reduces the clock speed. The disadvantage is that performance suffers but at least your phone won't break down.

Several sources report that Samsung is applying a rather aggressive method of Thermal Throttling to the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra. An application called "GOS" would determine based on which application is open if performance is lowered. It would especially activate when it thinks games are open. GOS seems to have a rather broad definition of what is or is not a game. For example, reports indicate that Microsoft Office and Strava are recognized as games. Interestingly, GOS is not activated for well-known benchmark programs such as 3D Mark.

Deactivating GOS

Some users are trying to deactivate GOS, with mixed results. By the way, it is also questionable whether you should do this. During prolonged gaming, your device can get so hot that damage may occur. Samsung has not yet responded to this. Thermal throttling is nothing new and even common, but only when temperatures get too high. Not when you are opening a certain app.

With the new Galaxy S22 and S22+ Samsung wants us to believe it mainly improved the camera. We especially noticed that the first one is smaller than its predecessor. Something we haven't seen before. Phones mostly became larger previous years.

The S22 features a flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that is 6.1 inches in diameter. And because the screen bezels are even thinner, and this time completely symmetrical, the device looks even smaller than it actually is. At 6.6 inches, the S22 Plus is a fraction larger. A larger panel is not the only difference; the peak brightness goes up to 1750 nits making it easier to read in full sunlight.

The main camera has been improved by applying a new 50MP sensor. By using a larger sensor and by improving its AI algorithm, pictures should be sharper and brighter. The telephoto camera goes down in resolution to 10MP but can now fully optically zoom up to 3x. The ultra-wide angle of 12MP and a 120° and f/2.2 lens looks the same as its predecessor, at least by looking on paper.

Armor Aluminum and Victus+

Samsung steps away from using a plastic back and goes for glass again; Gorilla Glass Victus+ to be exact. The frame is made of tough Armor Aluminum, something we saw before on the foldable Galaxy Z phones. Both the S22 and S22+ are available in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green and Pink Gold. Samsung is selling the color Sky Blue, Violet, Cream and Graphite exclusively in its own online store.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Also announced; the Galaxy S22 Ultra. On paper, this looks like the successor to the S21 Ultra, but it looks more like the Galaxy Note 22. The design is more angular, the stylus is built-in and the specs are high-end.

The 6.8-inch screen has a variable refresh rate of between 1 and 120 Hz, there is a high 108MP resolution main camera, 45W fast charging and a version with 1TB of storage. The latter, just like Graphite, Sky Blue and Red versions, is exclusively available at Samsung itself.

What's special about the S22 Ultra is that the S Pen latency has been reduced by 70% for an even more true-to-life writing experience. Prices start from €1,179 and the available colors are Phantom White, Phantom Black, Burgundy and Green as wel.

According to Samsung, 640,000 tons of fishing nets are dumped into the ocean every year. Enough plastic to recycle some too you would think. Samsung thinks so too and is now going to use some of it in future Galaxy phones. Good news, but you always have to watch out for greenwashing with this kind of news.

Greenwashing?

Indeed, Samsung does not mention what percentage of recycled plastic the upcoming Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra are made of. It also doesn't say how it got those discarded fishing nets. However, it does report that the use of fishing nets is just the first step in making its Galaxy products increasingly sustainable. It will talk more about this at its Unpacked Event on February 9.

Galaxy for the Planet

In August of 2021, Samsung launched a initiative called "Galaxy for the Planet." This program sets itself the goal of using recycled materials in every Galaxy product starting in 2025, eliminating plastic packaging and reducing the standby power consumption of chargers to 0.005W.

Because the Galaxy S22, like the S21 and the S20 before it, can be charged with only up to 25W. If you want more speed you have to buy the S22+ or S22 Ultra. The charger can charge these phones with a whopping 45W. Earlier it was rumored, perhaps even wished, that the entry-level S22 would also get a charger with more power.

The images above further teach us that fully charging the Samsung Galaxy S22 takes a whopping 70 minutes. With the S22+, that's cut down to 60 minutes. How long the S22 Ultra's battery takes to fully charge we don't know. We haven't found the image showing that (yet).

Unpacked Event

Samsung will announce the Galaxy S22 series at Unpacked Event on Wednesday, February 9. In the meantime, they've started getting their partners up to speed, using images like the one above. Those don't teach us very much new by now because pretty much everything about the series has already been leaked.

Not long ago, Samsung announced an Unpacked Event for February 2022. During the S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra will see the light of day. An exact date was not given at the time but it is now finally known. February 8 at 10 AM Eastern Time, 16:00 Central European Time.

This date was already predicted on November 6, 2021 by Jon Prosser where he also predicted that the devices will be available from February 18. It remains to be seen if that prediction is also correct.

The Epic Standard

As has become customary, Samsung will broadcast the presentation live on its YouTube channel. In the meantime Samsung has started providing marketing material to its partners. Just yesterday we were the first to show you high resolution press images. Not long after that, many other media outlets published their own material.

The invitation reads "The Epic Standard", a rather bold statement. It is well known that Samsung is once again changing the formula of the Galaxy S series. Proof that it still has not found a golden formula. For example, the entry-level S22 will be a tad smaller, the S22+ will remain more or less the same and the S22 Ultra will be the Note version with built-in S Pen.

Four colors. That's where the Galaxy S22 5G initially comes in. We're talking black, green, pink and white. Presumably Samsung will give another nice name to this like "Phantom Black" and "Turkish Rose".

It's not the first time these renders have surfaced, but we haven't seen them in such high resolution before. Click on an image below for a larger version.

Which color do you prefer? Feel free to let us know in the comments below. Samsung will most likely announce the Galaxy S22 on February 8 or 9. So you still have some time on your pick.

According to Dr. TM Roh, we will get to see the most "noteworthy S series ever" during Unpacked. That seems to be a reference to the merging of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note. According to multiple rumors the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first Galaxy S to have an integrated S Pen. The S21 Ultra also supported the pen but it didn't have a dedicated slot to store it.

Whether the remaining models in the Galaxy S22 series will also support the pen remains to be seen. In a blog post, the CEO of Samsung Mobile at least writes that the next generation Galaxy S will bring together the best of all Galaxy devices. So we can't rule it out.

8 February?

It is somewhat striking that we are only told the month and not an exact date. Why this is so remains unknown. Unconfirmed rumors speak of February 8. The whole thing looks like a marketing ploy to us; Samsung wants to build up the excitement. Create a hype. Whether it will succeed remains to be seen. For now, we have not seen anything that would make us want to order one in advance.

Unless you absolutely want a more compact Galaxy S. Indeed, the entry-level S22 appears to be getting smaller than its predecessor for the first time in years. All in all, Samsung is fairly confident in the Galaxy S22 Series. In fact, it is already starting to take pre-orders starting this Friday, January 21, 2022, even before it is officially announced and before we know exactly what the device can or cannot do. For now, this only applies to North American buyers. They are awarded with vouchers and trade-in discounts.

We too joined the bashing of the S21. Plastic on a €800 phone, who on earth thought that would be a good idea?! In reality, it wasn't all that bad. The matte finish felt pretty premium, didn't smudge like glass does and doesn't shatter into a thousand pieces when you drop it. On top of that, it's lighter and feels warmer in the winter months than say metal.

The S21+ and S21 Ultra did get a glass back, by the way, and it looks like that will soon happen for the entry-level S22 as well. At least if we are to believe the rumor of Ice Universe. He often reports about unannounced phones in advance.

More differentiation

At the time it was assumed that Samsung opted for plastic to keep costs down. The entry-level Galaxy S21 did indeed had a lower entry price than its predecessors. However, that price drop also applied to the glass S21+ so maybe that wasn't the real reason.

It's not inconceivable that Samsung wants to make more of a difference between the premium Galaxy S22 and the lower cost S21 FE which will most likely continue to use plastic. Which way Samsung is going to go will become clear during the Unpacked Event which has yet to be announced.

The next big phone announcement is that of the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Galaxy S22+ and the S22 Ultra. As usual, there are already some leaks. Its appearance, its specifications and its most important plus points. Whether the image below adds something new is therefore questionable, but it is still interesting.

Mainly because we now get a good idea of the size difference between the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra. For example, the entry-level S22 is expected to be a lot smaller than usual and the S22 Ultra is a lot more angular compared to the S22 Plus. But again; no surprises so far.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Especially the S22 Ultra will be different than previous years. It will take over the role of the Galaxy Note. The angular appearance reveals this to a large extent. The phone will get an integrated S Pen and a different camera module on the back.

Instead of a camera island/angle, the various camera sensors stick out of the housing. Why a metal corner was not chosen here, is to keep the weight down. But there are other reasons as well. Like creating its own identity. The introduction of the trio is not expected before early 2022. Until then, we expect lots of new information and images. Like future retail prices and press material.

Via: (1), (2)

We're talking about the entire S22 series consisting of the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra and the S22 FE. Whether the latter will actually be announced in 2022 remains to be seen by the way, even the S21 FE has yet to be announced.

So look at those sales numbers more as a dot on the horizon, something to judge Samsung executives on when they fail to meet these targets. After all, a lot can happen in a year. In any case, it is a fact that Samsung has a bright future ahead of it. Samsung hopes to sell 14.1 million units of the S22, while the target for the S21 was 10 million the year before. And that while there is still a worldwide shortage of chips.

Sales targets Galaxy A and Z

Those numbers pale in comparison to some Galaxy A models. Samsung, for example, hopes to sell as many as 28 million units of the A53 5G alone; a device that, at the time of writing, has yet to be announced.

The future also looks bright for the foldable Galaxy Z series. For example, Samsung hopes to sell 6.9 and 2.9 million units of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 respectively. In total Samsung has set itself the goal to sell no less than 13 million foldables in 2022. For comparison; according to Strategy Analytics, a mere 2 million foldables were sold worldwide in 2020 alone.

(via)

The battery of the Samsung Galaxy S22 has been photographed. With its battery capacity mentioned. The S22 will have a battery of 3700 mAh. The S22+ is said to get a battery of 4500 mAh.

In both cases, that is 300 mAh less than its predecessor. Remarkable but not shocking. They will both have a smaller screen; 0.10 and 0.15 inch smaller respectively. With a smaller screen, the battery can also be smaller to reach the same battery life. The battery of the S22 gets type number EB-BS901ABY and appeared at a Korean approval website.

Galaxy S22 series

The Galaxy S22 series does seem to break away from the S21 series despite the same looks. The entry-level S22 is a lot smaller, the S22 Ultra looks more like a Note with S Pen support and the S22+ sits more in between in terms of size. A launch is expected in the 1st quarter of 2022 so there is still enough time in which things can change.

The renders come from @onleaks who has published unannounced Samsung phones before. The Frenchman has sold his renders to Zouton, 91mobiles and Digit. Those 3 publications have published images of the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra respectively.

The most notable of the trio is the S22 Ultra but first a little more about the entry-level S22. As expected this one will be a bit smaller than before with a 6 inch screen. Because of this, Samsung creates a bit more room between the S22+ and Ultra. Apart from the size, we don't see any big differences. The screen edges seem to be a bit smaller and the camera module does not emerge from the side anymore, but sits on the back, as it were.

Samsung Galaxy S22+

We find the same design principle on the Galaxy S22+. Inside the module are 3 different cameras, presumably a 50, 12 and 12MP one. The screen of the Plus measures an expected 6.55 inches diagonal. Inside a 5000 mAh large battery is expected. If rumors are to be believed, the charging speed is going up; from 25 watts to at least 45 watts.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Most of the innovation seems to be going to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. At least, if we're talking about looks. It will be a lot more angular than its predecessor and therefore looks more like a Galaxy Note. This is not without reason, because the Ultra will reportedly get a slot for an S Pen. This makes the S22 Ultra more like the successor to the Note 20 than the S21 Ultra.

The S22 Ultra shown here also gets a different camera module, quite different from the other S22 models. Whether this will actually be the design is still unclear. According to @UniverseIce Samsung is also considering a double pill shape, possibly to save weight.

What does seem certain is that we will find a 108MP camera sensor on the Ultra. You will also notice that the volume keys are not so prominently visible. Whether they really sit so deep in the side will become clear when Samsung officially announces it. It is always possible that the 3D artist who made the renders misinterpreted the blueprints.

Galaxy S22 series announcement

By the way, an announcement of the above trio is not expected before 2022. To be more precise, the first quarter of 2022. Samsung usually presents its S flagship in February or March. Last year it deviated from that due to the Corona crisis and presented the S21 family at the end of April.

Smartphones have been getting slightly bigger for years. But apparently we're reaching a limit because the upcoming Galaxy S22 will actually be smaller. Smaller than the S21 and even smaller than the iPhone 13. The Galaxy S model has always been bigger than its iPhone counterpart.

This rumor is brought to our attention by @UniverseIce who more often than not manages to bring us accurate information. According to this source, the Galaxy S22 will have a 3700 mAh battery. That's 300 mAh less than is found in the Galaxy S21. But with a smaller screen size of 6.06 inches, that's easily justifiable.

More differentiation

Making the Samsung Galaxy S22 smaller creates more differentiation between the Plus and Ultra. Making the more expensive Plus a bit smaller as well would allow Samsung to drive more users to that model. At the moment there is only a minimal difference of 0.1 inches between the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra.

Moreover, Samsung would then get a mini Galaxy S in its line up. Something that is currently missing. If this rumor is true, it would be the first time that Samsung would bring a new Galaxy S model with a smaller screen. In previous years, the screen either grew or remained the same.