Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022: 5 Biggest Announcements

Viewers of Samsung’s annual Unpacked event saw the first confirmed glimpses of the company’s Galaxy S22 line of mobile devices as well as the Galaxy S8 tablet lineup.

Aside from the usual Hollywood glitz and glamour aimed at Gen Z, Samsung Electronics’ annual Unpacked event Wednesday was mostly a confirmation of weeks of leaks surrounding the company’s flagship Galaxy S22 line of mobile devices. The company also offered the first glimpse of the Galaxy S8 tablet lineup and new sustainability efforts built directly into the new releases.

Unpacked 2022 is Samsung’s annual showcase of new devices in its stable and is generally considered the company’s biggest and best show of the year. This year’s event was livestreamed via the company website and simultaneously on YouTube. More than 250,000 people were logged onto the YouTube showing alone.

Samsung President TM Roh spent a great deal of time outlining the company’s sustainability efforts, saying, “It’s all part of our journey to create a better future.” But he saved his biggest accolade for Samsung’s flagship smart phone, the S22 Ultra: “It’s the ultimate smartphone.”

Here are the five biggest reveals from Unpacked 2022.

Galaxy S22 Ultra Features

A steady stream of leaks has fueled talk of enhanced features for the S22 lineup, with the S22 Ultra getting the most extreme facelift yet. The Ultra will feature an S-pen similar to those found in Galaxy tablets and in the discontinued Galaxy Note that was sorely missed by fans in last year’s lineup. The top-of-the-line phone will also feature a whopping 108-megapixel main camera and new low-light photography capabilities (teased by the Samsung Unpacked promo trailers as “Breaking the rules of light”). The two secondary cameras include a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel periscoping camera with 10x optical zoom. Other eye-popping specs include options of up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM—as much firepower as some laptop computing systems. Along with the spec upgrades, users can expect a curved 6.8-inch screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

The Ultra will carry the same price tag as its S21 predecessor, starting at $1,199. The Ultra is expected to hit store shelves February 25. Preorders started after the live Unpacked event.

The Rest Of The S22 Line

While the Ultra was the headliner, the rest of the S22 range should excite Galaxy fans with smaller spec upgrades but similar pricing to the S21 line. The S22 and S22 Plus share many specs, including a 50-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel selfie camera, 8GB of Ram and 256GB of storage.

The S22 Plus will best the aforementioned in size, 6.6-inch screen vs. 6.1-inch, and larger battery, 4,500mAh vs. 3,700mAH.

Pricing on the S22 will match the $799 price tag of the S21, with preorders opening after the event and store stock expected March 11. Price for the S22 Plus will be the same as the S21 price of $999.

Keeping Tabs On The Galaxy Tab S8

Much like with the S22 releases, the Ultra takes center stage for the tablet lineup with big specs and the biggest price tag. The S8 Ultra tablet is a svelte device with a large 14.6-inch OLED screen with 2,960 x 1,848 pixel resolution and a 120 hz refresh rate for smooth surfing. The Ultra also packs a punch with 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. Keeping with the theme of enhanced photography for the Galaxy lineup, the Tab Ultra will feature two front facing cameras. The Tab S8 Ultra is priced at $1,099.

Rounding out the S8 lineup are the Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus, replacements for the S7 lineup. The S8 and S8 Plus will have 11-inch and 12.4 inch displays respectively. The S8 will feature a standard LCD 120hz screen while the Plus will have the upgraded OLED panel. Both feature up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

Pricing for the S8 starts at $699.99. Preorders are available now with shipping expected later this month.

A Treat For Gen Z

Any doubt about which generation Samsung is heavily targeting was erased by the appearance of K-pop supergroup BTS, which has already been featured in Samsung advertisements. The show made sure to highlight social-media-enhancing features like better low light selfies and seamless Snapchat integration, surely appealing to the younger crowd.

Other notable pop references included a promo spot shot on the set of Netflix’s popular “Bridgerton” and a preview of the upcoming Warner Bros. flick “The Batman,” starring Robert Patterson.

Fishing For Sustainability

Samsung detailed efforts to incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics (ocean garbage like discarded fishing nets) into its entire lineup of Galaxy devices. The company aims to help alleviate some of the 640,000 tons of fishing nets abandoned and discarded each year in the world’s oceans.

What Channel Partners Are Saying

While the Unpacked event is geared toward a consumer audience, solution providers should still pay attention, according to Gina Daniel-Lee, vice president of strategic alliances and partnerships at Stratix Corp.

“The event is always an exciting opportunity to learn about [Samsung’s] new innovative products and solutions,” she said. “It’s high-energy and robust … and offers the channel a sneak peek into the new offerings that can be leveraged within our businesses to create a differentiated solution offering.”