Samsung Galaxy S22 will probably disappoint buyers in some regions
A chipset lottery
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One remaining question we’ve had about theSamsung Galaxy S22range is what chipset the phones will use. TypicallySamsungsplits its flagship line between a Snapdragon chipset in the US, and an Exynos one in Europe and most other places. This year there was a suggestion that more places orperhaps even all placeswould get a Snapdragon, but that’s now looking unlikely.
GalaxyClubhas found early listings for the Samsung Galaxy S22 range in various European stores, and while there aren’t many details included, every single one of them either mentions the Exynos 2200 chipset or has a model number that would be used for an Exynos configuration.
While it’s possible that this is guesswork on the part of the stores, it strongly suggests that Europe (likely including the UK) will get versions of the Samsung Galaxy S22 range that are powered by the Exynos 2200, rather than theSnapdragon 8 Gen 1, and that could disappoint some buyers.
First up though, in smaller Samsung Galaxy S22 news,MySmartPricehas acquired renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, sourced by Ishan Agarwal (a reputable leaker).
These show the phone in all four expected shades – white, black, green, and pink gold. We’ve heard these colors rumored numerous times, and even seen renders in each shade, so there’s nothing super new here, but it’s yet more evidence that these are the shades we’ll get.
For what it’s worth, the standard Samsung Galaxy S22 is elsewhere rumoredto land in the same shades, though both phones might also be available in blue, beige and grey, with the Galaxy S22 Plus additionally possibly coming in purple. It’s thought that these shades might be region-specific or exclusive to Samsung’s store though, if they are real.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra meanwhile has been rumored to land in black, white, dark red, and green shades.
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Analysis: a chipset split means winners and losers
If Samsung does use different chipsets in different parts of the world, inevitably one of those chipsets will probably be better than the other, making for the weird situation of the Samsung Galaxy S22 and its siblings being better phones in some countries than others.
This is typical for Samsung, but it’s arguably not great for buyers. For one thing, it means many reviews may not reflect your own experience if the model available to you has a different chipset.
It also just means that if there is a gulf between them, buyers of the lesser version could feel short-changed, given that the phone will be every bit as expensive regardless of chipset.
Based on past form, it’s likely that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 versions will be superior, as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets tend to have the edge over Samsung’s Exynos ones.
It’s possible things will be different this year, especially as the Exynos 2200 uses a powerfulAMDGPU capable of ray tracing, but either way, one of these chipsets will probably be better than the other.
James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.
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