Samsung Galaxy S22 launch event: what we expect at Unpacked 2022
One of the biggest smartphone launch events of the year is almost upon us, as Samsung Unpacked 2022 takes place on February 9, and we’re expecting the flagship Samsung Galaxy S22 to be unveiled there.
But that’s not all we’re expecting to see. Below we’ve detailed all the other likely appearances, including tablets and a major musical guest.
In short though, this is an event that should be worth tuning in to, so once you’ve read this article, stick the event start time of 10am ET / 7am PT / 3pm GMT (or 1am AEST on February 10) in your calendar, and head back to TechRadar then for all the announcements and our expert analysis.
Samsung Galaxy S22
The Samsung Galaxy S22 and its siblings will of course be the star of the show, and we likely know almost everything about them already, thanks to numerous leaks.
The standard S22 then is thought to have a flat 6.1-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a glass back but an otherwise similar design to the Samsung Galaxy S21, a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide one, and a 10MP telephoto one (offering 3x optical zoom).
The front meanwhile might house a 10MP selfie camera in a punch-hole, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 is also said to have an Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, with the US getting the latter and most other regions getting the former. This is a similar split to most years, and those are both top-end chipsets.
RAM might come in at 8GB, and there’s thought to be 256GB of storage (though there may be other configurations too). The battery is apparently 3,700mAh with support for 25W charging, and the Galaxy S22 colors will likely include white, black, rose gold, and green.
We even have an idea of the price, which is likely to be either the same as or very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S21 (which started at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249), while the actual release date of the phone might be March 11 – with pre-orders opening on February 9.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus – which we’re also expecting to see – sounds very similar to the standard Samsung Galaxy S22 so far, just with a bigger 6.6-inch screen and a larger 4,500mAh battery with faster 45W charging.
Otherwise, the leaked specs are much the same as those above, though the price will of course be higher, but likely similar to the $999 / £949 / AU$1,549 starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus. Expect the same pre-order and release dates as for the Samsung Galaxy S22 as well.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
While the Samsung Galaxy S22 range as a whole will likely be the main focus of Unpacked 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will probably be the real star, because if leaks are right Samsung has put the most effort into this phone, delivering something that’s vastly different either to its predecessor or the rest of the range.
It’s thought to have a completely different design – less curvy, and more like a Galaxy Note than a typical Galaxy S. That’s not where the Galaxy Note comparisons end either, as leaks point to the phone coming with an S Pen stylus, and even having a slot to house it.
As for the specs, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra reportedly has a curved 6.8-inch 1440 x 3080 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 108MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 10MP telephoto one (offering 3x optical zoom), and a 10MP periscope one (with 10x optical zoom).
There’s also said to be a 40MP camera on the front, and while the S22 Ultra should have the same chipset as the rest of the range (either a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or an Exynos 2200, depending on region), it will apparently come with up to 1TB of storage and up to 16GB of RAM.
The battery is also said to be bigger, at 5,000mAh (with 45W charging), and the colors could differ too – look out for black, white, burgundy, and green shades.
As for the price, that again could be similar to its predecessor, meaning around $1,199 / £1,149 / AU$1,849 and upwards. The release date though might be earlier than the others, with it reportedly landing in stores on February 25. That said, we’ve elsewhere heard that stock for the Galaxy S22 Ultra could initially be extremely limited, so you might still find you’re waiting a while.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Even if you’re not in the market for a new phone, Samsung might have something for you at Unpacked, as it’s also expected to unveil the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 range.
These are Samsung’s flagship tablets – essentially the tablet equivalent of the Galaxy S range – and like the Galaxy S range we’re expecting three of them, but let’s start with the standard model.
According to leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 will likely have an 11-inch 1600 x 2560 LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, an 8,000mAh battery with 45W charging, a microSD card slot, and an S Pen in the box.
It’s also said to have 13MP+5MP rear cameras, an 8MP front-facing camera, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and optionally 5G connectivity. It might come in silver, rose gold, and grey colors, and be priced starting at €749 (approximately $845 / £625 / AU$1,185).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus will probably also land on February 9, and should be a small step up from the standard Tab S8.
Leaks point to a 12.4-inch 1752 x 2800 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, a 10,090mAh battery with 45W charging, a microSD card slot, an S Pen stylus, 13MP+5MP rear cameras, an 8MP front-facing camera, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and optionally 5G.
So largely the same as the standard Tab S8, other than a larger screen and battery, along with AMOLED rather than LCD display tech. The available colors will reportedly be the same too (silver, rose gold, and grey), with the starting price apparently being €949 (around $1,070 / £790 / AU$1,500).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
This looks to be the year of the Ultra for Samsung, because as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra likely being the star of the S22 range, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a completely new addition to Samsung’s tablet selection, as there wasn’t an Ultra version of Samsung Galaxy Tab S7.
So what does that moniker mean? Bigger and better basically. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is said to have a 14.6-inch 1848 x 2960 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, an 11,200mAh battery with 45W charging, a microSD card slot, an S Pen stylus, 13MP and 5MP cameras on the back, and also a dual-lens front-facing camera, with 8MP and 5MP snappers.
The Tab S8 Ultra is additionally rumored to have up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and optionally 5G, and to only come in grey.
So if reports are right then you get a bigger, higher resolution display, a bigger battery, more RAM, more storage, and an extra front-facing camera on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
BTS
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Stay Tuned.#SamsungUnpacked #GalaxyxBTS @BTS_twtLearn more: https://t.co/DIakqCJlkZ pic.twitter.com/iEDyM9ZL44January 28, 2022
That’s it for products that we’re expecting, but fans of BTS might want to tune in even if they’re not interested in Samsung’s upcoming tablets and phones, because the company has teased that BTS will be making an appearance, with the tweet above.
The tweet doesn’t reveal what capacity this South Korean sensation will be appearing in though. Will it be a live performance? A promotional video? A special BTS edition of one of the products? We don’t know, and that makes this one of the few mysteries that remains about Samsung Unpacked 2022.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.