Samsung Galaxy S22 may not get under-display camera — here's why

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However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is tipped to get such a camera

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Olympus
A render of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Olympus (Image credit: Technizo Concept/LetsGoDigital)

The Samsung Galaxy S22 might not have an under-display selfie camera, despite the rumors thus far, due to manufacturing challenges. 

That's according to a recent post South Korean tech leaks website Naver, which claimed production yield and equipment testing wouldn't be ready in time to produce enough units of the Galaxy S22. However, an under-display camera is still tipped for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. 

Naver also claimed that the image quality allegedly doesn't meet Samsung's standards for the Galaxy S22, as the camera is quite visible under the screen. 

But the claim that Samsung could be holding off on putting an under-display camera in the Galaxy S22 shouldn't come as a huge surprise, if this leak is legitimate. That's because under-display cameras have yet to deliver strong photography results and remain unseen under a screen; the ZTE Axon 20 5G has such a camera and it's both visible under the screen and yields unimpressive image quality. 

However, not all hope is lost for a Samsung phone with an under-display camera coming this year, as Naver claims the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will include such a camera. 

This would make sense, given that producing enough under-display camera units for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 would be easier than the Galaxy S22, as demand for foldable phones has yet to reach that of traditional handsets. Plus, the Z Fold 3 is expected to get a secondary selfie camera, so image quality would be less of a concern. 

But when it comes to other phones, Naver reported that Samsung will likely take its time to perfect its under-display camera to ensure it isn't visible and that photo quality is up to standard. As a result, we likely won't see the finished product until the second half of 2022. The Galaxy S22 is predicted to be released at the start of 2022, so will arrive before this claimed camera optimization has been done. 

Of course, at this stage, nothing has been confirmed. However, leakers such as Ice Universe appear to agree that Samsung has not yet perfected its under-display camera with images indicating that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 features a visible lens located underneath its screen.

Another Samsung Galaxy S22 rumor hinted at impressive gaming possibilities, thanks to it being tipped to get some AMD graphics tech in its chipset. 

If you want a Samsung phone right now, then check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S21, as it's a stellar flagship phone in a neat package. 

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Denise Primbet
Denise Primbet
News Writer

Denise is a Life Reporter at Newsweek, covering everything lifestyle-related, including health, relationships, personal finance, beauty and more. She was formerly a news writer at Tom’s Guide, regularly producing stories on all things tech, gaming software/hardware, fitness, streaming, and more. Her published content ranges from short-form news articles to long-form pieces, including reviews, buying guides, how-tos, and features. When she's not playing horror games, she can be found exploring East London with her adorable puppy. She’s also a part-time piano enthusiast and regularly experiments in the kitchen.