The Galaxy S22 series will look very different next to all other prior Galaxy S generations. The upcoming trio of flagships should consist of a base model, a Plus variant, and the top-tier Galaxy S22 Ultra. Although the naming scheme isn't out of the ordinary, what is very unusual about the upcoming flagship trio is that the upper-tier model could break the mold in unprecedented ways. Because of this, I'm inclined to believe that Samsung should've also looked into giving the rest of the Galaxy S22 series — or more specifically the Plus model — a fresh coat of paint. Let's elaborate.
Samsung can't make everyone happy with the way the Galaxy S22 series looks right now
In case you missed the recent leaks, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to feature an S Pen and a dedicated holster for the accessory, as well as all the essential S Pen software tools a Note user might need. In other words, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will virtually be a full-fledged Galaxy Note model with a different name.
Samsung fans are split into at least three camps when it comes to the Galaxy S22 Ultra redesign. Some Galaxy Note fans seemingly care more about the “Note” moniker itself rather than the phone's actual capabilities, but other customers can look past the surface level and are happy with how the Galaxy S22 Ultra is shaping up after they were denied a new Note model this year.
Thirdly, there are Galaxy S fans who have used these flagships for years but now feel as if they'll be sacrificed to the Galaxy Note altar for the greater good. These customers want the best Galaxy S smartphone but don't care about the S Pen and aren't willing to sacrifice any hardware specs for the sake of this undesired accessory.
Personally, I'm in favor of the S Pen becoming more popular. I'm all for the proliferation of the S Pen, as I believe that the accessory would greatly benefit from dropping its Galaxy Note exclusivity — which it did after the launch of the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Nevertheless, it's very unusual to think that the Galaxy S22 series will treat Galaxy Note fans better than it will Galaxy S fans, and this is precisely where Samsung might be screwing up.
Samsung should've gone back to the drawing board for the rest of the Galaxy S22 series
As much as I appreciate the qualities of the S Pen, not everyone does, and especially not every Galaxy S fan. These customers have had the option to switch to the Note series for years but didn't, so from that perspective, it feels rather unfair for Samsung to now be forcing the S Pen onto them.
Their next-best option will be the Galaxy S22+, which, according to early leaks, will be nothing more than a slightly larger Galaxy S22, complete with a plastic build. And this is where I believe Samsung should've taken more time to come up with a different approach and balance out the fact that the Ultra model won't follow conventions.
Instead of a base Galaxy S22 model, a Galaxy S22+, and a Galaxy S22 Ultra with an S Pen, perhaps Samsung should've considered developing the base model along with two nearly-identical Ultra variants, save for the lack of the inclusion of a dedicated S Pen holster in each. This way, Galaxy S fans who want the best of the best could still have the top-tier Ultra model without having to pay extra for the S Pen, while Galaxy Note fans could finally buy a new S Pen model for 2022 without getting weird looks from diehard Galaxy S fans who'll feel like they got robbed of their premium model.
As it stands, the leaked Galaxy S22 lineup just doesn't feel right because the Ultra model seemingly went through such drastic changes while the base and Plus variants haven't. It's understandable for the base model to remain more conservative for cost reasons, but the Galaxy S22+ looks like a missed opportunity to keep Galaxy S fans happier. Which they probably would be if Samsung were to drop the Plus variant and focus on creating a base model and two mirrored Ultra flagship experiences separated by the S Pen, or lack thereof.
What do you think? Would the Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup have looked better with two Ultra models next to the base variant? In which camp do you reside in regards to the design of the Galaxy S22 Ultra? And with the Galaxy Note series presumably gone for good, how would you rethink the Galaxy S series to make sense for both Galaxy S and Note fans? Leave a comment below.
