Lexy Savvides/CNET
Samsung has confirmed that it will hold an Unpacked event in February to announce the 2022 Galaxy S phone series, which is widely expected to be called the Galaxy S22. TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of its mobile experience business, made the announcement in a blog post Thursday, implying that the new lineup will include a Galaxy Note successor.
“At Unpacked in February 2022, we’ll introduce you to the most noteworthy S series device we’ve ever created,” Roh wrote. The company said customers can register to preorder the new Galaxy devices beginning Friday at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m ET). Doing so gives perks such as $50 in Samsung credit toward other devices.
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Samsung’s blog post is filled with references to the Galaxy Note series, hinting that it will play some role in Samsung’s next Galaxy S announcement. Roh acknowledged that many were “surprised” when the company didn’t release a new Galaxy Note last year, marking a notable gap in Samsung’s series of larger phones that launched more than a decade ago. But he added that Samsung hasn’t “forgotten about these experiences you love” in reference to the Note.
Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean Samsung will announce a new version of the Galaxy Note during this event. Rumors have suggested that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will essentially serve as a replacement for the Note, and Samsung’s blog post seems to suggest as much. Roh’s post ends with a tease about the next Ultra series phone, adding to speculation that Samsung could position the Galaxy S22 Ultra as a Note sequel.
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That idea isn’t new to anyone who has been following the deluge of Galaxy S22 rumors. Several unofficial images and videos of the phone have indicated the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a Note-like design with sharper square edges and an included stylus, as shown in leaks from serial gadget tipster Steven Hemmerstoffer and blog LetsGoDigital.
Samsung began laying the foundation for this shift last year when it made the Galaxy S21 Ultra compatible with its S-Pen stylus, one of the definitive traits that previously separated the Note family from Samsung’s Galaxy S series. Unlike the Galaxy Note, however, the Galaxy S21 Ultra does not come with an S-Pen in the box, and there’s no slot on the phone for storing it.
Having the Galaxy Ultra lineup provide a successor to the Galaxy Note would be a sensible move for Samsung, considering the phones fulfill similar roles in the company’s smartphone lineup. The Galaxy Note was positioned as a more premium option for those who wanted a bigger screen, a stylus and longer battery life. The Galaxy S Ultra now checks many of those boxes, and it’s become more difficult for Samsung to distinguish them from one another.
Otherwise, Samsung’s standard Galaxy S22 is expected to have a new processor and both faster charging and a slightly smaller screen on the lowest-price model than the Galaxy S21, according to the rumors. There are also likely to be camera upgrades in store, as Roh writes that you’ll be able to take the “best and brightest photos and videos you’ve ever captured with a phone.” We’ll know more when Samsung holds its Unpacked event in February. An exact date hasn’t been announced.