The Galaxy S22 could offer a couple new trendy colors. Here are all the rumors we’ve heard about Samsung’s next flagship, and how it compares to the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra.
Samsung could unveil its new flagship, rumored to be the Galaxy S22, next year. But how do the rumors about the upcoming smartphone compare to this year’s Galaxy S21? So far, we’ve heard that the Galaxy S22 could offer a thinner design with upgrades to its camera, processor and battery, all for a similar price as the Galaxy S21. The latest buzz about Samsung’s new phone also talks about possible new color options. According to Dutch blog LetsGoDigital, Samsung may have hinted that the Galaxy S22 could come in a light green and pink, called “Pistachio Green” and “Flamingo Pink,” during the company’s August 2021 Unpacked event, where the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 were launched.
Although the exact launch date for the Galaxy S22 is still unclear, Pulse New Korea speculates that the new phone lineup could be arriving in January. The Galaxy S21 was revealed in January 2021, a change from the phone-maker’s previous timeline for the Galaxy S Series, which is usually unveiled in February.
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series features three phones, the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra. The Galaxy S22 series is rumored to mirror the three-phone lineup with a standard, Plus and Ultra model, if leaks around the phones’ screen sizes are to be believed.
Here are the rumors we’ve heard about the Galaxy S22 specs, so far, and how they stack up to the Galaxy S21. Just note that none of the Galaxy S22 specs have been confirmed by Samsung. We’ll keep this story updated as we hear more.
If you’re curious about the earlier Galaxy S series smartphones, here’s how the Galaxy S21 compares to Galaxy S20 and the best Android phones you can buy in 2021.
Cost: Galaxy S22 and S21 should have a similar price
We haven’t heard any credible rumors yet about the price of the upcoming Galaxy S22 lineup, but we anticipate that Samsung may keep prices fairly consistent from last year’s flagship. The South Korean electronics giant slashed the price of its Galaxy S21 handset by $200 compared with the previous year’s flagship, the Galaxy S20, and we’d be surprised if Samsung were to dramatically increase the price this year. The Galaxy S21 ranges in price from $799 to $1,379 depending on the model.
Here’s the Galaxy S21’s US pricing, for reference.
| 128GB | 256GB | 512GB | |
| Galaxy S21 | $799 | $849 | N/A |
| Galaxy S21 Plus | $999 | $1,049 | N/A |
| Galaxy S21 Ultra | $1,199 | $1,249 | $1,379 |
Design: Galaxy S22 will be thinner than the S21, with a smaller display
The Galaxy S22 lineup could be slightly smaller and thinner than the S21, according to leaker Mauri QHD.
The Galaxy S22 is speculated to come in three sizes: 6.06, 6.55 and 6.81 inches. In comparison, the standard Galaxy S21 is 6.2 inches, the S21 Plus is 6.7 inches and the S21 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
Mauri QHD also theorizes the thinner design may result in a smaller battery for the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S21 houses a 4,000- to 4,500-mAh battery. The anticipated shrinkage of the Galaxy S22 is abnormal when looking at Samsung’s previous phone models. The South Korean electronics giant’s S series has been steadily growing in size over time from the Galaxy S10 (150x70x7.8mm) to the Galaxy S20 (152x69x7.9mm) and then Galaxy S21 (152x71x7.9mm).
Colors: The Galaxy S22 could come in new colors that the S21 didn’t offer
The Galaxy S21 came in six colors. This included black, silver, gray and white as well as a chrome-like purple and pink. According to the latest gossip from Dutch blog LetsGoDigital, the Galaxy S22 could come in light pink and green color options. The blog speculates that during Samsung’s August 2021 Unpacked event the company may have hinted at the possible new colors.
At one point in Samsung’s Unpacked presentation (about 46 minutes in), the company showed off the S Pen stylus’s compatibility with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. At that moment, the words “SS22 colors” are written on the foldable phone. The text appears next to a separate window showing a light green plaid pair of pants and a baby pink blazer that pointed to the words “Pistachio Green” and “Flamingo Pink.” It’s possible we could see these new colors for the Galaxy S22, but we won’t know for sure until the phone makes its debut.
Camera: Galaxy S22 will get the camera upgrades the S21 missed
After keeping the camera options stagnant for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21, Samsung may upgrade its camera selection for the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to come with a 200-megapixel main camera. If the speculation proves to be true, this would be the highest pixel count available for a Samsung phone. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, in comparison.
The camera gossip comes after a teaser tweet shared by Samsung Exynos, the electronic company’s division for chipmaking, in March flaunting a 200-megapixel phone camera. The upgrade could be coming as a result of a potential partnership with Olympus.
Leaker Ice Universe, however, speculates the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra could feature a more polished version of Samsung’s third-generation 108-megapixel camera sensor (Isocell HM3).
The rumored 200-megapixel main camera from Samsung would significantly outperform the main snapper on Apple’s iPhone 12 (at least on a specs sheet) which comes equipped with a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide camera. Google’s Pixel 5 does slightly better than Apple on the camera front with a 12.2-megapixel standard and 16-megapixel ultrawide, but still doesn’t hold a candle to Samsung’s rumored 200 megapixels.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra may also have an under-display selfie camera, but rumors regarding this feature currently contradict each other. Some speculate that Samsung has filed a patent for a punch hole camera with a sub-display that moves out of the way when the camera is needed, while others claim the hidden front camera won’t be a part of the upcoming Galaxy S22 because the camera quality isn’t high enough.
The camera selection for the upcoming Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus may not be that exciting, as the models are speculated to have a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 12-megapixel telephoto with a 3x zoom. The regular and plus models of both the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 featured a 12-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 64-megapixel telephoto, in comparison.
Processor: Will the Galaxy S22 come with a Snapdragon 895 chip?
The Galaxy S22 could be getting a speed boost. Leaker Ice Universe speculates the new flagship phone could be equipped with an improved Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 895. In comparison, the Galaxy S21 comes equipped with the Snapdragon 888.
The rumor comes after Qualcomm unveiled its Snapdragon 888 Plus in January. Ice Universe also speculates Samsung could be the company to manufacture the new smartphone processor.
The bump in processing power is rumored to be paired with a boost in graphics. The Galaxy S22 could come with an AMD GPU as a result of a partnership between Samsung and the chip giant.
The Galaxy S22 may also come with an active fan mode to cool down the phone during gaming or other times of intensive usage, according to Dutch blog LetsGoDigital.
