Samsung to surprise market with Galaxy S22 at Feb Unpacked event

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s top smartphone maker, will unveil its latest Galaxy model at next month’s Unpacked event – a smartphone, it said, that will be “the most noteworthy S series device it has created.”

In a blog Samsung posted on Friday, TM Roh, Samsung's president and head of its MX business, said its next-generation Galaxy S to be launched at its Unpacked 2022 in mid-February will bring together the customer experience of its smartphone into “one ultimate device.”

“With every fresh evolution of Samsung Galaxy devices, we have introduced features that redefine the entire mobile category. And we’re about to rewrite the rules of the industry once again,” Roh said in the blog post.

The new smartphone, widely expected to be named the Galaxy S22, will be equipped with upgraded cameras, a battery with a longer lifespan and features like a faster loading speed, according to industry sources.

Roh said in the post that users of the new phone will be able to take the "best and brightest photos and videos you've ever captured with a phone."

The blog post is filled with references to the Galaxy Note series, hinting that its new lineup may include a Galaxy Note successor.

Roh acknowledged that many were "surprised" when the company didn't release a new Galaxy Note last year. But he added that people raved about the S Pen stylus and Samsung hasn't "forgotten about these experiences you love" in reference to the Note.

GALAXY S22 ULTRA WITH S PEN STYLUS

Industry watchers said the new smartphone’s premium model, to be named the Galaxy S22 Ultra, will come with the S Pen stylus, one of the definitive traits that previously separated the Note family from Samsung's Galaxy S series.

Samsung's Galaxy S22 is expected to have a new processor, called the Exynos 2200, according to industry officials.

Samsung, also the world’s largest memory chipmaker, said earlier this week it has begun mass production of the new premium mobile processor, which it said offers a console-level gaming experience on smartphones.

The launch of a new smartphone comes as Samsung faces growing competition with the likes of China’s Xiaomi as well as Apple Inc., which makes iPhones.

Samsung is said to be targeting to sell more than 300 million smartphones globally this year.

The company’s smartphone sales growth stood at a mere 1% in 2021, compared with Chinese rivals’ growth rate of between 20% and 30%.

To consolidate its market leadership, Samsung unveiled a series of premium foldable phones at last year’s Unpacked event.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments are forecast to grow to 1.49 billion units in 2022, up 7% from last year.

Write to Sung-Soo Bae at baebae@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.