Samsung Galaxy S22 sounds a lot like the Galaxy S21 in latest leak

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

If you were hoping the Samsung Galaxy S22 range would be a huge improvement on what Samsung offered with the Galaxy S21 range, you might be in for a disappointment, as the latest leak suggests many things will be similar or the same.

Ice Universe (a leaker with a solid track record) has posted a variety of details about the upcoming phones on Weibo. Many of these details are identical to a leak we covered a day earlier, and indeed probably come from the same sources, given that Ice Universe claims this information was “summarized by various channels.”

But there is some new stuff here, including claims that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus will have FHD+ displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, and that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a QHD+ one with a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s a match for the Galaxy S21 range, though the rumored screen sizes slightly differ, at 6.06 inches, 6.55 inches, and 6.81 inches as you move up the range.

The cameras also sound similar, though not identical. Apparently the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus have a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. That would mean some different sensors to the S21 range, but the same basic configuration and zoom potential.

It’s a similar story on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which apparently gets a pair of 12MP telephoto snappers in place of the 10MP ones on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but otherwise has a setup that sounds identical, including a 108MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and optical zoom at 3x and 10x focal lengths.

Ice Universe also echoes the previous leak in saying that the design will be similar to the Galaxy S21 range. Specifically, the upcoming phones will apparently have a “modified version” of the Samsung Galaxy S21’s design.

Finally, they mention battery sizes too, but this again is a match for yesterday’s leak, with the Galaxy S22 said to have a 3,800mAh one, the Galaxy S22 Plus a 4,600mAh one, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra a 5,000mAh one.


A Samsung Galaxy S21 with its screen on, sat on a table

You might want to hang on to your Galaxy S21 (Image credit: TechRadar)

Analysis: the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus could actually be a downgrade in some ways

Not only do the specs and design of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range sound similar to the S21 range from this leak, but the standard Galaxy S22 and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus could actually be a step down in terms of screen size and battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a slightly larger 6.2-inch screen coupled with a bigger 4,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S21 Plus has a larger 6.7-inch display and a 4,800mAh battery.

The difference isn’t enormous then, but it works in favor of the older phones. Coupled with the rumored similarities in other ways, these could end up being disappointing releases. Then again, it’s possible that Samsung will push the price down in line with these muted specs, so there’s a chance we could see a flagship bargain.

Via GSMArena

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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