Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus key specs just leaked

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The Galaxy S22 may have a significantly smaller battery

Renders allegedly of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus phone, on a white background
(Image credit: OnLeaks/91Mobiles.com)

Update: a new Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus leak reveals all about the cameras.

Rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S22’s battery size have not been great so far, with rumors that the battery may be smaller than the one in the Galaxy S21. Rumors can be wrong, but yet another one has claimed the S22 will have a shrinking battery, which isn’t a great look. 

A new certification on Safety Korea (spotted by Phone Arena) shows off what is alleged to be a Galaxy S22 battery pack. It features a capacity of 3,700 mAh, with a usable capacity of 3,590 mAh, which is significantly lower than the 4,000 mAh battery in the S21. 

300 mAh is not a huge amount of capacity, but it is a noticeable drop. In fact, the 40 mm Galaxy Watch 4 only has 247 mAh of battery capacity, meaning the S22 could be missing a whole smartwatch and a little bit extra.

While there’s always a chance for these sorts of rumors to be proven false, this is not the first time we’ve heard that the standard S22 will feature this particular drop in capacity. A previous report from Dutch site Galaxy Club claimed that the phone would have 3,590 mAh of usable battery — the same figure from this certification.

We’ve also heard rumors that the total battery capacity in the Galaxy S22 Ultra will drop from the S21 Ultra’s 5,000 mAh to 4,855 mAh, while the S22 Plus is rumored to drop from the S21 Plus’s 4,800 mAh to 4,370 mAh.

But this news may not be as bad as it sounds. While having more battery capacity is one way to extend a device’s battery life, that’s not always the case. Better energy efficiency and lower overall power consumption are critical to keeping a phone running for longer, and it’s possible that this will happen in the S22 range.

Rumors likewise claim that the S22 range will feature smaller displays than the S21 range. Given how much energy is needed to power the screen, this could go a long way in reducing the phones’ energy needs. In other words, a significant drop in battery capacity may not come with a loss of overall battery life.

Then again these rumors could all prove to be completely bogus. At this early stage, we just don’t know enough to make any absolute judgements. However, the fact multiple sources have made virtually identical claims means we should expect smaller Galaxy S22 batteries.

We are just going to have to wait and see what the Galaxy S22 range has in store for us when it launches sometime early next year.

Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • Schlermie
    A smaller battery isn't necessarily bad news. Perhaps Samsung made enough power management improvements that they no longer need such a large battery. A smaller battery means less weight, smaller form factor (or more room for other advancements in the same form factor) and lower cost. So long as the battery capacity is commensurate with the power demand, so it can comfortably get through the day, over a period of 2-3 years, before I charge it at night, then I'm happy.
    Reply