Samsung surprised the world back in 2020 when it unveiled a Fan Edition version of its Galaxy S20. This featured a slightly reduced spec sheet compared to its full-fat sibling, but brought the overall flavour of a Galaxy device to those who didn’t want to spend the ever-increasing amounts that it costs to bag a flagship phone these days.
This was followed by the Galaxy S21 FE a year or so later, and now we look forward to seeing how the format is tweaked for the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE be released?
With only two models in the series so far, it’s a little tricky to tie down a firm release date, especially as Samsung hasn’t made any official statements about the upcoming phone. To give us some idea, here’s when the previous versions made their debuts:
As you can see, there was a little more than a year between the two devices, but this was mainly down to the S21 FE being heavily delayed due to a combination of Covid-related disruptions to production and the worldwide shortage of processor chips. We expect Samsung to return to its previously intended scheduling, with the Galaxy S22 FE arriving in October 2022, shortly after the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.
How much will the Samsung S22 FE cost?
There’s no official pricing available yet, but we can use the previous models as a baseline. So, here’s the pricing we’ve seen so far:
Samsung S20 FE:
4G: £599/€649
5G: £699/$699/€749
Samsung S21 FE (5G):
6GB + 128GB: £699/$699/€749
8GB + 256GB: £749/$769/€819
While the S20 FE offered both 4G and 5G versions, this settled into the more standard 5G platform for the S21 FE and therefore the S22 FE. Hopefully Samsung will hold its prices for the new model, meaning you should expect shelling out around £699/$699/€749 for the entry-level configuration.
What specs and features will we see in the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE?
As Samsung has yet to even admit whether there will be a Galaxy S22 FE or not, there’s little in the way of definitive information regarding what it will contain. We’ve already seen some interesting rumours though, with a surprising one from Notebookcheck that spotted a post on Chinese social media site Weibo where a tech tipster reported Samsung was considering using a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset in the new phone for 2022.
There is some uncertainty whether the rumoured device is the Galaxy S22 FE or a Galaxy A53 Pro. As the latter doesn’t seem to exist yet (there are no Pro versions of the A-series phones), this either means Samsung is thinking of adding a further tier to its products, or the FE models could be using the MediaTek chips going forward.
The only clue that seems to favour the FE is that the leak says that the battery capacity of the model in question will be 4500mAh, which is the same as the two previous FE devices but smaller than the cell in the Galaxy A53. It’s an interesting move, as Samsung makes its own Exynos processors for the European markets, with Qualcomm Snapdragons used in other territories. But this could signal a move away from Qualcomm in its mid-range devices.
MediaTek has been building its reputation in recent years, and the Dimensity 9000 marks the first flagship level SoC from the Taiwanese company. Early indications are that it could be on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, making the S22 FE a potential powerhouse if it does arrive with the new chip on-board.
Aside from the processor and battery size, there have been few other rumours around the Galaxy S22 FE, suggesting it will still be a while before we see it launch. We think there’s a good chance that you might see a similar spec sheet to that of the Galaxy S21 FE, with the same excellent triple-camera array, gorgeous 6.4in AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, Full HD+ resolution, and centred punch-hole aperture for the selfie camera.
To give an indication of how the S22 FE might line-up, here’s a breakdown of the specifications for the Galaxy S21 FE.
6.4in Full HD+ AMOLED 120Hz display
In-display fingerprint sensor
Gorilla Glass Victus (front)
Reinforced polycarbonate (back)
Aluminium frame
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 (market-dependent)
6/8GB RAM
128/256GB non-expandable storage
12Mp, f/1.8 main camera with OIS
12Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera
8Mp, f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS
32Mp, f/2.2 front-facing camera
Stereo speakers
Android 12 w/ One UI 4.0
IP68 dust/water resistance
5G
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
4500mAh battery
25W fast charging (includes PD charging support)
15W wireless charging
Reverse wireless charging
155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm
177g
Launch colours: White, Graphite, Olive, Lavender
We’ll update this article as more details become available, so be sure to check back periodically. If you want to see the kind of devices the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE will be up against, check out our guides to the best Android phones and best Samsung Galaxy phones.
