Samsung Galaxy S22 has a new color option, Bora Purple, which reminds us that as phones look and work more alike, it's design accents that matter.
The name is derived from the Korean word for "Purple," which means the actual color name might be "Purple Purple." However, for Samsung, a South Korean company, the term also refers to creativity and "sparking joy."
Looking at and holding the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Bora Purple phone, I don't so much get the joy or creative vibes, but instead, a distinct fuchsia presence. I mean, this color is not a deep purple, but a softer, fuchsia blend, the kind that you might use as a wall covering.
Colors can elicit feelings and the Bora Purple Galaxy S22 does have a lighter, maybe more joyful appearance than Phantom Black, which feels bold and a little intimidating. There are now five color options in total: along with the new Bora Purple and aforementioned Black, there's the Phantom White (a bold choice if it's not summer), Pink Gold (which reminds me of a Rose Gold), and the lovely, rich Green I tested earlier this year.
Aside from a new color, there are no differences in design, function, features, or specs between this new option and the original quad.
In case you've forgotten, the flagship Galaxy S22 Samsung unveiled in February has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, a triple camera array on the back (50MP, 12MP, 10MP), one drill-through 10MP selfie camera on the front, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8 GB of RAM, and a 5G option. It's a great phone, though a little small, and it doesn't quite compare to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, especially in the camera space.
Now, does Fuschia - I mean Bora Purple - fundamentally change how I feel about the phone? No. But for Samsung, adding a color option is like opening the door to another segment of customers who, though possibly impressed with the S22, weren't inspired by the original color choices. Perhaps they thought, "If only it came in purple." Well, now it does.
The color is clear and prominent across the glass back and more faint over the camera array's metal housing. It also appears in a subtle, easy-to-miss hue on the steel band surrounding the chassis that I could see more clearly when I compared the new color phone with its siblings.
I already recommended the S22 in my review. Does a new color raise it a notch? Of course not. But it is a lovely hue that should make someone who needs a little Bora in their lives very happy.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 in Bora Purple arrives on August 10, Samsung's Unpacked Day, for the same prices as all the other S22s, starting at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249. In the US, it will also be available from the following carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile.
