Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and S21 FE might be launching within a month of each other

Shortly after live images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra emerged, semireliable leaker Jon Prosser shared dates of when he expected the Samsung Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) and Samsung Galaxy S22 series to launch. Prosser expects the S21 to launch in January, with the S22 following shortly after at a later event in February.

According to Prosser, Samsung is planning two Unpacked events to launch these new phones. The S21 FE will launch on January 4, just after the new year, he claims. This would come after a months-long delay triggered by the global chip shortage and a refocusing by the company on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3. There will be no pre-order period; instead, the phone will go on sale a week later on January 11, 2022. The S22 will arrive with more fanfare, inclusing an announcement on February 8, 2022. There will be a pre-order period of 10 days, leading up to an availability date of February 18.

It seems strange for Samsung to launch two phones so close together, but it would not be the first time it’s happened. In 2020, Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite shortly before the launch of the S20. Neither smartphone really took off in the same way (or in any way at all) as the S20 FE did later in the year. If this rumor turns out to be true, it’s possible the Galaxy S21 FE might face the same fate if it debuts so close to the S22.

Another rumor sourced to a Korean blogger claims that Samsung is going to be using the Snapdragon 898 processor in all regions, as opposed to the Qualcomm and Exynos processor combo the company usually goes with. More reliable sources like Android Police’s Max Weinbach and Ice Universe have come out against this report, countering that Samsung will likely be using its own Exynos 2200 chip for some S22 shipments.

Editors' Recommendations

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
The Samsung Galaxy S24 just got destroyed in this camera test
Samsung Galaxy S24 in Gray (left) and OnePlus 12 in Flowy Emerald.

For many people, a reason to upgrade their smartphone regularly is for the improved camera upgrades that companies include each year for flagship devices. We’re still early on in the year, and both Samsung and OnePlus have launched their next generation of flagship devices with the Galaxy S24 and OnePlus 12.

Both phones are powered with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip for fast performance, come with 8GB–16GB RAM, plenty of storage, and the latest version of Android 14. And to top things off, the cameras on both are impressive, with the OnePlus having slightly better specs.

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

It's hard not to lust after the biggest and most powerful smartphone on the market, and at the moment, that's the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung's new flagship is here, and it's simply one of the best smartphones you can buy today. The Galaxy S24 Ultra isn't just another smartphone; it's extremely powerful and has some of the most advanced AI features we've ever seen on a phone, along with an excellent camera and battery life. Simply put, it's great.

But you know what? You don't have to buy it. As good as it is, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is only one of a number of smartphones you can buy, and many of them are as good as the S24 Ultra — and may even exceed it in a few key ways.

Read more
Have one of these Samsung phones? You’re getting Galaxy AI features next month
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra's rear panels.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S24 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you bought a Samsung phone within the last year or so, get ready for a big software update heading your way soon. On February 21, Samsung confirmed that a number of its older smartphones are getting Galaxy AI features as part of the One UI 6.1 update in "late March."

Read more