Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: The newest rumors about Samsung’s next flagship

043-samsung-galaxy-s21-hands-on

The Samsung Galaxy S22 could offer faster charging times than the Galaxy S21 (shown above).


Sarah Tew/CNET

The Samsung Galaxy S21 came out less than a year ago and, although its successor isn’t due until 2022, speculation is ramping up for the Galaxy S22. The latest rumor about Samsung’s new flagship says that the Galaxy S22 could have faster charging time than the Galaxy S21. Leaker FrontTron on Twitter said that 65W charging support is in the testing phase for Rainbow RGB, a rumored codename for the S22 series. New foldable phones are also on their way soon, and you can check out more about Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked Event on Aug. 11 here

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 usually gets unveiled in February. 

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series features three phones, the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra. (Here are the CNET Galaxy S21 review and Galaxy S21 Ultra review.) 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. 

Read more: Galaxy S22 rumors: What we expect to see from Samsung’s next flagship

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. 

Read more: How the new Galaxy A series compares to Samsung’s other phones: S21 and S20 FE


Now playing:
Watch this:

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs. Note 20 Ultra



16:50

Cost: Galaxy S22 and S21 should have a similar price point

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.

Galaxy S21 US Pricing

128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
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 (149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8mm) to the Galaxy S20 (151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm) and then Galaxy S21 (151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm). 

samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra-render.png

A render of the the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra shows the phone’s possible size. It may be a little smaller than its older sibling, the Galaxy S21. 


Technizo Concept in collaboration with LetsGoDigital

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 200MP 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 108MP 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 200MP 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 108MP camera sensor (ISOCELL HM3).

The rumored 200MP 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 12MP wide and ultrawide camera. Google’s Pixel 5 does slightly better than Apple on the camera front with a 12.2MP standard and 16MP ultrawide, but still doesn’t hold a candle to Samsung’s rumored 200MPs.

Read more: Best camera phones for 2021

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, 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 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP telephoto with a 3x zoom. The regular and plus models of both the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 featured a 12MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 64MP telephoto, in comparison.

Read more: Galaxy S21 Ultra camera tricks

samsung-galaxy-s22-render.png

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could sport a 200-megapixel camera, as shown in this render.


Technizo Concept/LetsGoDigital

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. 

Read more: Best gaming phones for 2021

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.

Charging: The Galaxy S22 could support 65W charging, offering faster power up times than the S21 

Samsung could be upgrading the Galaxy S22 lineup with 65W charging support, according to leaker FrontTron. The tipster posted to twitter that 65W charging support is in the testing phase for Rainbow RGB, a rumored codename for the S22 series. 

If the speculation becomes reality, the S22 would offer significantly faster charging times than the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Note 20 lineup, which both have 25W charging. 

What’s in the box: Still no charger included with the S22 or S21

Although the battery power of the upcoming Galaxy S22 line is uncertain, Samsung confirmed earlier this year that, starting with the Galaxy S21 line, future smartphones won’t include chargers or headphones in the box. 

For more, take a look at how the Galaxy S21 compares to the iPhone 12 and how to choose the best Galaxy S21 model for you.

Rumored Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21 Specs

Galaxy S22 Galaxy S21
Display size 6.06, 6.55 and 6.81 inch options 6.2, 6.7 and 6.8 inch options
Processor Snapdragon 895 Snapdragon 888 or 64-bit octa-core processor
Cameras 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP telephoto 12MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 64MP telephoto
Battery Unknown 4,000 to 4,500 mAh
Charging support 65W 25W
Starting price (US) $799 $799
Starting price (GBP) £769 £769
Starting price (AUD) $1,249 $1,249

source: cnet.com