Galaxy S22 alleged model names bring Samsung's phone plans into focus

News
By published

Get ready for the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Samsung may have a Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for next month. But the electronics giant is already looking ahead to its next big phone release after that — and all signs point to the Galaxy S22 being next on Samsung's to-do list.

The latest proof that Samsung is getting its ducks in a row for next year's flagship launch comes in the form of model numbers for the new phones, which have been spied by SamMobile. And those numbers indicate that Samsung is working on three models for the Galaxy S22, matching the different configurations it introduced with the Galaxy S21 this past spring.

Specifically, SamMobile says its sources identified SM-S901x, SM-S906x, and SM-S908x as the model numbers for the upcoming Galaxy S22 release. Those numbers correspond to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra, respectively. The report suggests those names and could be subject to change.

According to SamMobile, the model numbers also confirm that all three S22 models will be 5G-ready. That's no real surprise, as these days, any major flagship is going to offer 5G connectivity — especially the latest Galaxy S phones, with have worked with 5G networks since the days of the Galaxy S10, when Samsung launched a separate 5G version of that phone.

The discovery of the different S22 models, coupled with the looming Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11, brings Samsung's phone plans for the next six months into sharp detail. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are expected to highlight that show, with Samsung hinting that it's pausing any Galaxy Note updates for this year at least.

That means the next non-foldable flagship phone released by the company will likely be the three Galaxy S22 models . (A scaled-down Galaxy S21 FE is also reportedly in the works, with some sources expect it to launch along with Samsung's foldables next month.)

Like last year's S21 models, the Galaxy S22 could debut in January. Key rumors surrounding the phones suggest an upgrade to faster charging and a possible Olympus camera partnership for the S22 Ultra. Given that we now have alleged model numbers for the S22 family, perhaps we'll see an uptick in rumors about next year's first big phone launch.

TOPICS
Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.