Foldables Worked, Next Up is the Galaxy S22

Expected renderings of the Galaxy S22 series scheduled for release in 2022 [Source: LetsGoDigital]

[Asia Economy Reporter Joeslgina] The foldable gambit worked. Next up is the ‘Galaxy S.’

Samsung Electronics, which led this year’s form factor trend with the foldable ‘Galaxy Z’ series, is now making a bold move in the basic ‘Bar’ style smartphone market. The company plans to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the ‘Galaxy S22’ series, in February, continuing its offensive to maintain the global smartphone throne.

With the effective discontinuation of the ‘Galaxy Note’ series anticipated, the top-tier S22 Ultra model is expected to closely resemble the Note, featuring the series’ first built-in ‘S Pen.’

◇February Launch of ‘S22’ Next Year… Flagship Offensive Following Foldables

According to industry sources on the 3rd, Samsung Electronics is tentatively planning and preparing a Galaxy Unpacked (new product launch) event to reveal the S22 in February next year. Mass production of components has already begun, targeting pre-orders to start in the second week of February. The industry widely expects the schedule to be: Unpacked on February 8, pre-orders on the 15th, and official release on the 18th.

The Galaxy S series is Samsung’s strategic flagship model into which the company pours its capabilities. It is the most important product line to maintain the number one position in the global smartphone market against competitors like Apple and Xiaomi. Samsung has traditionally unveiled new S series models such as the Galaxy S20 and S21 around January to February each year, following the fourth quarter known as ‘Apple’s season.’

Especially after securing form factor leadership with the launch of the third-generation foldable phone this year, Samsung needs to drive momentum in the basic bar market with new products. Since the foldable phone market is still relatively small, the success of the S22 is crucial for expanding actual market share. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung held a 20% market share in Q3, followed by Apple (14%), China’s Xiaomi (13%), Vivo (10%), and Oppo (10%).

An industry insider commented, "With the uncertain future of the Note series, which had a strong fandom, the S series has become even more important." It is reported that the Note series is not included in Samsung’s smartphone production plans for next year.

◇S22 Resembling Note, Prices Expected to Rise

The S22 series is expected to be released in three models: basic, Plus (+), and Ultra, similar to its predecessor. According to leaked S22 renderings from IT media such as LetsGoDigital, the top-tier Ultra model will feature an S Pen slot, combining the existing S series with the Note series. Display sizes are reported to be approximately 6.06?6.1 inches for the basic model, 6.5?6.6 inches for the Plus, and 6.8 inches for the Ultra. The application processors (AP) are expected to be Samsung’s Exynos 2200 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 898, deployed regionally. The under-display camera (UDC) used in the ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ is unlikely to be supported.

Price increases are inevitable due to the prolonged semiconductor supply shortage and rising component costs. The S22’s retail price is expected to be about 100,000 KRW higher than the previous S21 series. The highest-spec model could reach as high as 1.5 million KRW. Considering Samsung’s strategy earlier this year to price the basic S21 model below 1 million KRW to expand demand, this could be a negative factor for sales.

Competition is intensifying with Apple leading with new iPhones and Xiaomi leveraging price competitiveness. Market research firm TrendForce forecasts that global smartphone shipments will increase by 3.8% to approximately 1.39 billion units next year, with Samsung maintaining its industry-leading 20% market share. However, TrendForce adds that growth will slow as Apple dominates the high-end market and Xiaomi leads in the mid-to-low price segments.

Meanwhile, Samsung plans to release the ‘Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE)’ and other models in some regions in January ahead of the February Unpacked event.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.