Samsung Galaxy S22 redefines premium

Consumers prefer S Pen-equipped Ultra model

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics has been moving its focus to foldable smartphones, which are more expensive and lay claim to being made with hardware manufacturing technology of the highest order, but the Galaxy S series is still recognized as a truly premium smartphone among all Android devices.

However, in recent years the global top-selling smartphone maker has appeared to have not quite settled on what its premium smartphone should be.

The Galaxy S20 series, released in 2020, was equipped with high-performance cameras, displays and chips, but its sales volume was low due to its steep price increase compared to the series' previous generations.

To compensate for the outcome, Samsung released the Galaxy S21 series in 2021, lowering both prices and performance and was criticized that the new model did not give consumers an upgraded experience from the S20.

Unveiling its 2022 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S22, on Feb. 10, Samsung seems to have now found an answer to what kind of design, performance and attractive points an expensive smartphone coming in at more than 1 million won ($835) should entail in order to appeal to users.

As with previous S series models, Samsung launched the S22 models with three variations ― the S22 with a 6.1-inch display, the S22+ with a 6.6-inch display and the S22 Ultra with a 6.8-inch screen.

Not only is the size of the display different, but the S22 Ultra, the most expensive model starting at 1.45 million won, has an angled design and S Pen stylus that can be slid into the device ― reminiscent of the Galaxy Note series ― to appeal to a wider variety of consumers.

Design-wise, Samsung takes two approaches. The S22 and the S22+ share the same design only differing in display size.

Flat edges on the sides of the S22 and the S22+ give it a more sophisticated feeling but the Ultra is totally different from its partner devices. Its edges are angled and users can immediately see that it is the successor to the Note series.

While the S22 and the S22+ both feature a camera island ― a demarked area the camera lenses are set within ― the Ultra model's camera lenses are designed without the boundary to reduce its overall weight.

The rear cover material has also been upgraded. The S21 and the S21+ were equipped with plastic rear panels, but the S22 and S22+ are made of scratch-resistant glass.

While Samsung emphasized that its camera now works even better in low-light environments, with its “Nightography” mode, the new cameras' performance shines in all lighting conditions. Using an artificial intelligence feature, the S22 series removes shadows and light reflections in photos. For instance, when users scan a document or receipt, the S22 delivers evenly lit images.

Overall, the Galaxy S22 series can certainly be called a premium smartphone since it provides consumers with a wide variety of options. If you want a high-performance smartphone with a small but distinct design, the S22 is the right choice. If you want a slightly larger high-performance smartphone, you can go for the S22+ and if you want to get into more creative work on a bigger screen, the Ultra model will be your best option.

S Pen is back

Samsung skipped the release of the Galaxy Note series last year. A company executive said the Note model may be brought back someday, but the company seems to have decided on a premium smartphone release schedule where it introduces the S series in the first half of the year and the foldable series in the second half.

Regardless of future releases, the S22 Ultra will be welcomed by high-productivity users who can employ the S Pen to carry out more extensive tasks on the smartphone's wider screen.

Once experienced, the advantage of having the stylus storable inside the device cannot be denied. Users can jot down notes or use it on the screen to capture a specific image or search for words. The air command is another benefit of the S Pen ― by pushing a button in the stylus, users can even take a selfie.

S22 Ultra receives positive reception

Among the three variations of the Galaxy S22, Samsung said the Ultra model is the most popular as around 60 percent of consumers who are subscribed to mobile service contracts will upgrade to the new smartphone.

“It was confirmed that more than 300,000 consumers preordered the Galaxy S22 on Feb. 22, the first day the mobile carrier service began to be take orders,” a Samsung spokesperson said. Samsung received pre-orders for the S22 for eight days until Feb. 21 and officially released the new smartphone on Feb. 25.

“Among the three models, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has a built-in S Pen, accounted for about 60 percent. In particular, many existing Galaxy Note users purchased the S22 Ultra,” the official added.

Samsung said that the Galaxy S22 also performed the best among the Galaxy S series of all time, in terms of the number of pre-orders, one of the measures used to gauge how well smartphones will sell overall. The company said the S22 models received 1.02 million pre-orders, beating the previous record of 1.004 million pre-orders that the Galaxy S8 models recorded. The figure is also higher than 920,000, the combined number of pre-sales of the Z Fold3 and the Z Flip3, which were released in the second half of 2021 and drew positive responses.

“In the case of the Galaxy S8 model, the pre-sale period was 11 days, longer than the 8 days of the Galaxy S22. Considering this, consumers seem to be responding better to the new Galaxy S series,” the official added.