Galaxy S22 design might actually be a good thing

The Galaxy S22 series could be a tough one for Samsung next year. Arriving hot on the heels of the Galaxy S21 FE's rumored launch, the phones might have a mix of features that would seem stuck in 2021. The smaller battery might be the most offensive rumored detail about the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+, but the unchanged design might also put off a few people. That said, that same design could still work in Samsung's favor, especially considering what other choices there are.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra's appearance has undergone quite a few iterations over the past few months, at least based on leaks. Even now that there is some consensus on the P-shaped camera cutout, there are still some debates on how the camera bump will actually look like. There are no such arguments about the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ models, though, and almost all rumors claim they will look like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+, respectively.

LetsGoDigital now claims that a former Samsung employee from South Korea has at least confirmed that the two "lower" models won't look like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and more like their predecessors. There will be some minor differences, according to the report, like somewhat flatter screens and a less rounded Contour Cut Camera bump. Subtle differences that most consumers might not be able to detect anyway.

While that may be a disappointment for some, it could end up favorably for Samsung and the Galaxy S22 phones in the end. Part of the perceived reason for Samsung sticking to the same look is to actually make the Galaxy S21's image stick as well. This year's Galaxy S flagship didn't do so well as far as meeting sales expectations go, and Samsung might be intentionally trying to stretch it out just a bit longer.

It also gives Samsung's flagship a more stable visual identity that is sorely lacking in the current generation of smartphones. Every year seems to bring a new design that it has become almost impossible to identify brands among others. For all the criticism the similarly unchanged iPhone 13 design has received, it is still easy to pick out an iPhone even in a group of clones. Samsung's design of the Galaxy S21 and, soon, the Galaxy S22 could serve that purpose, especially since almost nobody has copied its strange camera bump.