Samsung Galaxy S22 series: What does the SoyaCincau team think of the new lineup?

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The new Samsung Galaxy S22 series has officially been announced. If you haven’t kept up with our content yet, some team members have posted things you need to know about the devices. But—if you’ve wanted to know what it’s like to work in our office—you’d be able to hear loud chatter here amongst our team about their honest thoughts on what Samsung had to bring to the table this time around.

So, with strong opinions and an equally strong love for tech, I compiled the thoughts of some SoyaCincau members about the upcoming S22 lineup. How did this announcement fair compared to the announcements during last year’s Galaxy Unpacked?

Raymond

• Resident tech expert and writer
• If he could inject coffee into his veins, he would
• Hasn’t used a Samsung phone “in years”

“I… don’t really know how to feel about the S22 series… In last year’s Galaxy Unpacked event, we were spoilt by the show-y Z Fold and Z Flip phones. But this time, there wasn’t much of a gimmick. The only “gimmick” is just bringing back a fan-favourite series Samsung killed off (the S22 Ultra) and that’s their ‘star attraction’. I’m not exactly underwhelmed, I’m just whelmed.”

Najib

• SoyaCincau BM’s head honcho
• Doesn’t like Parasite
• Proudly likes to trash on Apple

“The S22 and the S22+ are basically just the S21 and S21+ but with slight internal upgrades. They’re boring, and there’s nothing unique about them… there’s nothing to show off, really.

However, this is the first time that the Galaxy S22 will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead of the Exynos 2200 chip—something Malaysian fans will be excited about.”

Rory

• SoyaCincau’s unofficial Anton Ego
• Likes long rides on his motorcycle
• Hasn’t bought a phone of his own in years

“I think the Galaxy S22 series should have been a turning point. Samsung is bringing together two of their most storied device lineups—smartphones whose legacy is second to none. To me, it seemed like a prime opportunity to revamp their smartphone direction moving forward, with the Galaxy S being the flagship you buy with your head, and the Galaxy Z being the one you buy with your heart.

But we didn’t get that. We didn’t even get a fresh design that merged the visual aesthetics of both smartphone lines. Instead, Samsung basically replaced the Galaxy S Ultra with something that could have easily been a Galaxy Note Ultra. And that’s kind of a shame.”

Alex

• Head news editor and big boss
• His finger’s always on the pulse… for tech
• Does use a Samsung, but not as his main phone

“For 2022, I think the Galaxy S22 is essentially an improved model over the previous Galaxy S21. It isn’t really groundbreaking but Samsung has made some notable refinements to give it a more upmarket feel while retaining familiarity. People who prefer smaller phones would be happy to know that the base Galaxy S22 is slightly more compact and it now uses glass instead of plastic for its rear panel. Now it doesn’t seem like you’re being penalised for going for the cheapest phone.

Power users in Malaysia who have been wanting a Qualcomm-powered Samsung flagship would be happy to know that the Galaxy S22 series for our market is running on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. This should address performance and battery life concerns that fans have complained about for Exynos-powered Galaxy S devices. The new cameras look promising too—especially when it comes to low light photography.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially the true successor of the Galaxy Note series which has been absent for almost two years. In a nutshell, the S22 Ultra is the true phone that Note fans have been waiting for and this should have been the Note 21 Ultra that was due last year.”

Amin

• Big boss and resident Lego builder
• Cycles almost every day
• Uses the Samsung Fold 2

“Based on the specs, I think that Samsung has been able to deliver—and it’s great that they’re using the Snapdragon processors now for Malaysia. It’s a sign that they’re listening to what Malaysian customers want.

In terms of specs, display, and performance, there is really nothing you can fault when it comes to Samsung devices in the S22 series. This is the ultimate example of what Samsung can do. To a certain degree, people think that not doing the Note and focusing on the S22 series is a disservice to the fans… but I think it’s not.

Note users are probably happy that the Galaxy phone now comes with a built-in pen. This signifies a shift with Samsung’s overall product line in a way that the Galaxy S series has now collapsed into one—so it also comes in a Note-like device. For Samsung’s second cycle of launches in a year, they would focus on foldable devices. To me, it means that they have upped the game—as they have a range of devices for people who don’t want foldable phones, and a range for people who want them.”

Let us know if any of our opinions matched yours, or if you completely disagree. You can also pre-order the Galaxy S22, S22+, and the S22 Ultra with a special pre-order promo.

Related reading

• Deal: Special Samsung Galaxy S22 pre-order promo for SoyaCincau readers
• BTS fans tuned into the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 hoping to see a glimpse of their favourite band
• Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ launched: Small but solid upgrades