by If the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra didn’t quite do it for you, there may be one more member of the S22 line to consider as we’re likely to see a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE.
This would likely be an upper mid-range handset designed to slide in at the bottom of the line. But given that the Galaxy S22 will have had some price cuts by the time it lands, that might not work out quite right.
In any case, below we’ve collected everything we’ve heard so far about the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, and we’ve also included a wish list of things we want from the phone.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A more affordable member of the S22 line
- When is it out? Probably October or later
- How much is it? Likely at least £699 / $699 / AU$999
Release date and price Samsung Galaxy S22 FE
It’s hard to predict when the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE will launch because while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE landed in January 2022, the Galaxy S20 FE hit stores in October 2020.
So Samsung hasn’t been consistent with release timings, although an October launch would make a lot more sense than a January launch, as the latter would bring it way too close when we’re likely to see the Samsung Galaxy S23. It would also make sense if the entire Galaxy S22 line landed in the same year.
But then the FE phones don’t make much sense in a number of ways, as will become clear in this article.
Indeed, while October may be the most sensible time to launch the Galaxy S22 FE, one source claims it probably won’t land this year – if it lands at all, while another said – as of late April – the phone won’t even land. still in development. So a 2023 launch actually seems more likely, and it’s possible this phone won’t see the light of day at all.
There’s no news on what the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE could cost if and when it launches, but for reference, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE started at £699 / $699 / AU$999, so a similar starting price is possible here.
News and leaks
We haven’t heard much about the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, but one thing we’ve heard is that it may be using a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset.
This is a high-end chipset similar to the Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 used in the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S22 line, albeit from a brand with less prestige – and thus likely a lower price for Samsung .
So it might make sense for the phone to use this as the Galaxy S22 FE itself will likely be a cheaper handset than the other S22 models, but there’s some evidence that it won’t be as good.
For starters, another source has since said it won’t be using the Dimensity 9000, and furthermore, using a MediaTek chipset in an FE phone would be a change for the company as these handsets are more likely to be Snapdragon or Exynos devices. have used .
So we’d say a Dimensity 9000 is probably actually unlikely, with the Galaxy S22 FE more likely to get the same chipset split as the rest of the S22 line – meaning an Exynos 2200 in Europe and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in most other places .
Samsung Galaxy S22 FE: what we want to see
There’s plenty we’d like to see changed or improved for the next FE phone, including the following.
1. A lower price
Our biggest issue with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was the price, because while it had a lower starting price than the Samsung Galaxy S21 that launched, you could often find the S21 heavily discounted by the time the S21 FE landed, leaving the FE in the difficult position of being potentially more expensive in practice.
That wasn’t a workable position, so Samsung really needs to make sure that the Galaxy S22 FE is really more affordable than the Galaxy S22 if it wants a hit.
2. Better battery life
Battery life is the bane of many smartphones, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is no exception, lasting barely a day with moderate use. We would say that the lifespan was slightly below average, and we hope for an above-average battery life from the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE.
That could be achieved by increasing the capacity – maybe up to 5,000 mAh – or simply by optimizing the software, but somehow we want to see that.
3. Faster Charging
Incidentally, we were not very impressed with the charging speeds of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Or actually due to the charging speeds of most Samsung phones, because even the Galaxy S22 Ultra charges slower than many rivals.
That can charge at least 45W though, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is stuck with pretty slow 25W charging, so we’d love to see an upgrade for the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE here.
4. A glass back
While the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE isn’t a top-of-the-line phone, it’s pricey enough to expect premium materials, but it has a plastic back. We don’t want the same for the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE – even if there is a price cut (unless that price cut is seriously substantial).
Once a phone costs more than around $500 / £500, plastic really shouldn’t be a major part of it, so we want a glass back on the Galaxy S22 FE.
5. A clear reason for being
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has largely similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy S21, and where they differ, the changes don’t always work in the S21’s favor. That’s despite the Galaxy S21 FE being positioned as a lower-end phone.
Add to that the messy pricing outlined above, and it’s a tough, confusing sell, so for the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE we want Samsung to position the handset clearly.
Making it more affordable will help, but we’d also like to see more obvious differences in the specs of the standard S22, and with the S22 FE packing the lesser specs of the two. But not too much less, otherwise it may turn out to be unattractive. It’s a tricky balance.
