The Samsung Galaxy S22 is lined up to be the first major phone launch of 2022, and rumors and leaks about the phone have been gathering pace recently as a result.
Now, though, famed Samsung leaker Ice universe has kicked the Samsung Galaxy S22 rumors into overdrive, publishing in rapid-fire a series of specs about the incoming Android handset from out of left field.
And, while some of these leaked specs will be no doubt pleasing to the ears of Android phone fans, not all of them will. Here's both the good and bad S22 news.
- Nintendo Switch OLED screen burn-in warning officially addressed by Nintendo
- iPhone 13 pre orders UK: the best deals from Apple, EE, Three, Vodafone and more
- I tried this six pack-inducing TikTok plank challenge and it nearly drove me insane
The Samsung Galaxy S22 specs you'll love
1. Ok, first up is the information that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is going to come rocking a Exynos 2200 processing chip, which consists of a Cortex-X2 CPU (1 x 2.9GHz + 3 × 2.8GHz + 4 × 2.2GHz) and AMD GPU that runs at 1250MHz in frequency. This information was confirmed by Ice and was an exclusive spec reveal.
So, it's good news then, right? Yes, it is. Despite falling short of Apple's A15 Bionic chipset, which smokes everything else on the market, the Exynos 2200 looks powerful and loaded with potential performance. The chip isn't going to set benchmark records, but it will almost certainly lead to very strong and fast performance in real world Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra usage in apps and games.
2. Ok, next up we have the information from Ice that, supposedly, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is going to come with the new and super advanced ISOCELL GN5 50MP sensor. This sensor comes with 1.0μm-sized pixels, boasts 2x2 pixel binning tech (great for low light photography) and also features Dual Pixel Pro autofocus technology, which allows for rapid all-direction autofocusing. The 50MP sensor offers a maximum resolution of 8,160 x 6,144 pixels and also supports 8K video recording at 30fps.
That sounds good, yeah? Yes, exactly. This is a powerhouse new camera sensor loaded with advanced technology. It's going to be one of if not the best camera sensors on the market in 2022 and, as Samsung is a photography master, we should expect excellent performance from the Galaxy S22's camera system.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
3. And finally in the good news area, we've got the leaked information that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is going to come with 45W charging, which will be noticeably faster than the S21 Ultra's maximum charging speed of 25W.
This is obviously good news. The 45W charging means the Galaxy S22 Ultra will charge much faster than last year's phone, which itself wasn't exactly a slouch in this department.
And here's the two Galaxy S22 specs you won't like
1. The first S22 specs leak that I'm confident no Samsung phone user will want to hear is that the Galaxy S22 series, as a whole range, is still going to use both a pinhole selfie camera and the same camera area design as the S21 series.
So why is this bad news? Well, firstly, the fact that the S22 still has a pinhole camera reveals the fact that there will be no under panel selfie camera on it. Samsung fans had been holding out hope for the S22 to be the first phone to sport an under display camera, which would of meant Samsung could of avoided any interruption to the phone's screen at all (there'd be no need for a hole). But now that hope has seemingly been dashed.
And, secondly, as there's going to be no major refresh to the S22 camera area, we can deduce that it is going to be the same installation, with no major new additions.
2. And the other major S22 specs leak that will disappoint fans is that, S22 Ultra aside, all other phones in the range are going to get a downgrade in terms of battery capacity when compared to the S21 series.
This, again, is not the sort of news any phone fan want's to hear. Yes, maybe the phone is more efficient than the S21 and that means battery life won't get any worse, but that's not the ideal to strive for. Phone users want battery life to get better. The S21 battery life was good, but the fact that it looks like "good" was good enough for Samsung is disappointing news.
So a mixed bag
Overall, then, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S22 is very much going to be a tick year upgrade rather than a tock. Early rumors about an under panel camera now seem well out, and while it looks like photography is going to remain a big strong point for the range and charging on the flagship model looks like it is going to be faster, everything else about the range seems like a small iterative update.
- These are the best Samsung phones you can buy right now
Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.
-
Devialet Astra is surely the most beautiful audio amp ever made
French brand Devialet is renowned for its stunning-looking audio products, but this is on another level
By Rik Henderson Published
-
3 Netflix shows to watch after Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Finished the gripping true crime drama about the Menendez brothers? Here are three other great shows to check out
By Rik Henderson Published
-
The best new camera phone might not be from Samsung or Apple
Oppo's making a big push for its next phone
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
I tried Kindle Colorsoft and it's everything I wanted – except one thing
A Kindle in colour is pretty amazing, but is it worth buying?
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
I tried the iPhone 16 Pro on safari – now I want one for the huge camera upgrade
The iPhone 16 Pro's zoom boost is a game-changer
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE could be the king of foldables for one good reason
And the other rumours are looking good too...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Android phone prices could soon soar for just one reason
Price of the brick goin' up
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra case shows a shift back to the mundane
Samsung's next flagship might not be quite so unique.
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Is this the foldable phone that has Samsung most worried?
Another folding phone has just launched, this time with Loewe design
By Chris Hall Published
-
When is the iPhone 16 coming out? Could Apple's on-sale date be a surprise?
The iPhone 16 has already bucked trends once
By Max Freeman-Mills Published