When Samsung finally takes the wraps off the Galaxy S22 at Samsung Unpacked 2022, we could be in for a nasty surprise. Well, not that big a surprise, as we’ve already seen two leaks that Samsung could be raising the price of all three Galaxy S22 models by $100.
That’s not good for the Galaxy S22 Plus, which is tipped to be $1,099, or the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is predicted to cost a whopping $1,299. But it would look especially bad if the Galaxy S22 winds up costing $899.
That $899 price would be problematic for a number of reasons, staring with the fact that the iPhone 13 starts at $799. So being $100 more expensive than both last year's Samsung Galaxy S21 and Apple’s flagship is not a good start. But even if the regular S22 stays at $799 it could be in trouble.
Could the Galaxy S22 possibly be worth $200 to $300 more than the Pixel 6?
And that's because the Google Pixel 6 now exists. That phone starts at just $599, and it’s already one of the best phones around and one of the best camera phones for the money period. So it’s perfectly fine to wonder the following out loud: “How could the Galaxy S22 possibly be worth $200 to $300 more than the Pixel 6?”
There could be a number of reasons for this alleged price increase, including the fact that Samsung is said to be ditching plastic in the design for a glass back. The S22 is also tipped to be getting a 50MP main camera sensor, just like the Pixel 6. Then there's the matter of the chip shortage and supply chain issues, which has resulted in higher prices in all sorts of goods.
The Galaxy S22 should have a couple of advantages over the Pixel 6 if the rumors prove true. First, only Samsung’s phone will reportedly offer a 3x telephoto zoom, something Google’s phone lacks. In addition, while the Pixel 6’s display has a 90Hz refresh rate, the S22’s panel is tipped to offer a smoother 120Hz panel.
However, the S22 may wind up having a smaller battery at 3,800 mAh, compared to 4,614 may for the Pixel 6. Then again, the S22 will likely have a smaller 6.06-inch display vs. 6.4 inches for the Pixel, so Samsung’s phone would have less screen to power.
Having a larger display is generally a plus in my book for the Pixel 6, but some may prefer a more compact phone with Samsung.
But even with these rumored differences, nothing really jumps out as really being worth a big premium. Of course, there are those buyers who are simply brand loyal to Samsung, but a $799 to $899 entry-level flagship could be a very tough sell for the regular S22 when Pixel 6 is so darn affordable.
