Rumored pictures of the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Image: Evan Blass/EvleaksIn less than 24 hours, Samsung will hold its first Unpacked event of 2022. The entirely virtual event will be livestreamed on several different platforms (more on that below).
During the Unpacked event, which has the tagline “The Epic Standard,” we expect Samsung to announce its latest S-series smartphones and possibly new tablets. We don’t know every detail right now, but rumors and leaks have begun to come in at a steady pace over the last few weeks. Heck, Samsung is already taking reservations for a phone that hasn’t even been announced yet.
When we combine the leaks with educated guesses based on Samsung’s previous smartphone launches, we get a clearer picture of what the Galaxy S22 lineup will look like.
Now, keep in mind, we’re specifically discussing rumors and leaks. Any of the information below can — and most likely will — change by the time the phones are officially announced.
When is Samsung Unpacked?
Samsung will begin streaming the Unpacked event on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 10am EST. Here are the different international times for your reference:
- New York: 10am EST
- San Francisco: 7am PST
- London: 3pm GMT
- Berlin: 4pm CET
- Mumbai: 10:30pm IST
- Tokyo: 12am JST Feb. 10
- Sydney: 2am AEDT Feb. 10
How can I watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?
Samsung will begin streaming a placeholder video about 30 minutes before the start of the event (see the time above). I usually tune in about 15 minutes before just to make sure everything is working, so I don’t miss the start of the event.
Samsung will stream the Galaxy S22 Unpacked event on its website, Facebook, YouTube channel, Twitch, Reddit and TikTok. We’ll embed the YouTube video here once it’s available.
What will the next Galaxy phone be called?
- Galaxy S22 is the obvious choice
- Three different models are likely
Outside of jumping from the Galaxy S10 to S20, Samsung has stuck with a consecutive number naming scheme. With last year’s S-series of phones claiming the S21 moniker, it makes sense that this year’s release will be the Galaxy S22.
If Samsung continues with its naming traditions, we should see three S22 models: Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra.
What is the Galaxy S22’s release date?
- Galaxy Unpacked will take place Feb. 9 (but this will only be an announcement)
- The official launch date is usually a couple of weeks later
- You can reserve one right now — yes, before it’s even announced
In the past, Samsung has followed an Unpacked event with a roughly two-week presale period with promotions and other incentives. I expect Samsung will do something similar this year, putting the actual release date of the S22 series in late February.
If you already have your mind made up and plan on buying the Galaxy S22 the moment it’s possible, you can place a reservation right now. You don’t need to put down a deposit or hand over any financial information; you’re more or less signing up to be notified about preorders. In exchange for signing up, you’ll get an extra $50 off Samsung accessories when you complete your preorder.
What will the Galaxy S22 look like?
- The S22 Ultra looks a lot like a Galaxy Note
- The S22 and S22 Plus stick to the standard Galaxy S design
A couple of videos of dummy units have surfaced, potentially revealing what all three Galaxy S22 models will look like. The biggest takeaway here is that the S22 Ultra has the same square design that we’d come to expect from the Galaxy Note line. So while the Galaxy Note may be dead, it’s not forgotten.
As for the Galaxy S22 Plus and S22, they carry the same design approach that we’ve come to expect from Samsung. Both have a triple camera array on the back, while the S22 Ultra appears to have an extra lens or two, with rounded corners, and a hole punch front-facing camera.
Below is a video posted by Twitter user @OnLeaks showing off the design, including a spot for Samsung’s S-Pen stylus on the S22 Ultra.
Unbox Therapy also posted a video with the same, or at least very similar, dummy units. The video was eventually taken down.
More recently, Evan Blass posted leaked renders of all three phones on Twitter. His account is private, so you’ll need to request to follow him in order to see the photos. They all match the dummy units used in the video below, though.
What are the specifications of the Galaxy S22?
- Screen sizes ranging from 6.06 to 6.81 inches
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is likely
- Camera improvements all around
- S Pen support
We know that at least one of the S22 models will support Samsung’s S Pen stylus thanks to this Samsung blog post. It’s also a safe assumption that the three phones will launch with Qualcomm’s latest mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Screen sizes will span between 6.06 inches for the S22 to 6.55 inches for the S22 Plus to 6.81 inches for the S22 Ultra, according to Twitter user @FrontTron.
The same tweet claims we’ll see battery sizes of 3,800mAh, 4,600mAh, and 5,000mAh for the S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra, respectively.
As far as cameras are concerned, we’re reportedly looking at three cameras on the S22 and S22 Plus — 50MP wide, 12MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultra wide-angle. For the S22 Ultra, it’ll come with four different cameras — 108MP wide-angle, two different 12MP telephoto cameras, and a 12MP ultra wide-angle camera.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the S22 launch. Price is a good example; some reports suggest a $100 price increase over the Galaxy S21 lineup, but it’s unclear if that’s likely to happen.
I’ll keep an eye on any news and update this post as we get closer to the official announcement and release of the Galaxy S22 line. Until then, what are you hoping to see Samsung announce? Any particular features you want to see in the Galaxy S22 series? Let us know in the comments below.
