The next major flagship phone from Samsung should be the Galaxy S22, but when is it going to break cover? Sometime in January 2022, according to a new report from South Korea, which states that mass production of the phone will start in November.
Sources speaking to The Elec (via XDA Developers) say the Galaxy S21 FE is going to start rolling off production lines in September, with the Galaxy S22 following in November – putting it on course to be unveiled at the start of next year.
That would make sense considering the Galaxy S21 series of handsets also appeared in January. Previous flagship phones showed up in February or March, but this year Samsung got started early, and it looks like it wants to match that schedule in 2022.
- Take a look at the Galaxy Z Fold 3
- The Galaxy S21 FE is on the way
- We've tested the Galaxy Z Flip 3
The Galaxy S22: what we think we know
It's still a little early for Galaxy S22 rumors and leaks, but we have heard a few bits of unconfirmed information from various sources. A lot of the leaks have centered around the cameras, with talk of a reduction in megapixels but a boost in optical zoom levels on both the standard and Plus models.
When it comes to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the rumor is that the camera specs will be more or less the same as they were on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, so brace yourself for disappointment if you were expecting a massive leap forward in camera technology.
In fact, the S22 series might match the S21 series in a number of ways – including the screens. Bear in mind though that this is all speculation at the moment, and we might well get other information on the specs and configurations between now and January.
Analysis: Samsung gets another early start
Phone manufacturers don't often change their annual schedules, so it was quite a surprise to see the Samsung Galaxy S21 phones appearing in January 2021, while we were still recovering from Christmas and hadn't yet given up on our new year's resolutions.
It looks as though the strategy was one that Samsung was happy with, because the signs are that it's doing the same again for the Galaxy S22 in January 2022. It certainly enables Samsung to strike back quickly against the iPhone 13 and the Google Pixel 6.
What a January launch also does is set the standard for the year: everything that comes after the Galaxy S22 in 2022 is going to be measured against it, including perhaps updates to the new foldables that Samsung unveiled in August.
At the same time, it means that Samsung can avoid the glut of phone launches that traditionally happen around February and March time, usually around the annual Mobile World Congress event (which has recently been disrupted by the global pandemic, like everything else).
