Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

Samsung tweaks Galaxy S22 refresh rate specs before release

Peter Hunt Szpytek
By

Samsung has quietly changed display specs for the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus less than two weeks before the launch of the new flagship lineup. When the S22 series was first revealed during February’s Galaxy Unpacked 2022, Samsung’s marketing boasted that the phones’ screens would have variable refresh rates to optimize battery life dipping as low as 1Hz per second. This detail has been backtracked as the display information in the most recent press releases states that the refresh rate now ranges from 48Hz to 120Hz.

Variable refresh rates are a pretty big deal as they can greatly lengthen the battery life of a device by dropping the rate when displaying things such as ebooks, pictures, or web content. For phones, a device where every minute of charge counts, the Galaxy S22’s reduced range could make a big difference for some users.

Related Videos

The refresh rate of a screen determines how many times per second the screen updates its information which can be demanding of battery life if the rate is kept high for extended periods of time. Now that performance on the higher end seems to have become standard across manufacturers, screens with refresh rates that can go low as well have started becoming more desirable because of the aforementioned battery preservation.

Related

It seems as if the S22 and S22 Plus are able to reach the advertised 1Hz minimum in demos but not with any commercial products, as first noticed on Twitter by Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. If a 1Hz refresh rate is possible on the current hardware but not attainable for a software reason, it could eventually be utilized in a future update, but for right now, prospective S22 series owners will have to settle for 48Hz.

The new range of Samsung’s variable refresh rates comes starkly contrasted with the refresh rates on the newest Apple devices. The iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the iPad Pro hit the 120Hz mark the same as the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, but are able to dip far below 48Hz to reach 24Hz or 10Hz depending on the device. While the differences between Samsung’s variable refresh rates and Apple’s may not greatly impact the everyday phone owner, those who frequently use their phones for technically demanding work will likely notice the downgrade in terms of battery life if comparing the two.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Does the Samsung Galaxy S23 come with a charger? Know this before you buy
The USB-C port on the Samsung Galaxy S23.

The first thing you should do with your Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, or Galaxy S23 Ultra is charge up the battery. You'll want a 100% full battery to get the most out of your new phone, but that then brings up a simple, but important question: Does the Samsung Galaxy S23 come with a charger?

A few years ago, when you could rely on every phone coming with a charger in the box, this seemed like a silly question to ask. But in 2023, it's necessary to think about it with every phone you want to buy. These days, some phones come with chargers, others do not, and that's just how things work.
The Galaxy S23 does not come with a charger

Read more
Does the Samsung Galaxy S23 have wireless charging?
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series packs a slew of features. The phones offer bright AMOLED displays, cameras capable of a minimum of 30x zoom across the lineup, big batteries, and more. While the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best from Samsung, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus also pack top-notch features. But does the Galaxy S23 series have wireless charging?

It may seem like a no-brainer question, but it's an important one to ask. Some phones fully support wireless charging, while other phones — like the OnePlus 11 — don't have it at all.
The Galaxy S23 supports wireless charging

Read more
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 may get a feature the iPad has never had
Front face of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.

Samsung is working on bringing IP67 water and dust resistance to its Galaxy Tab S9 devices, a new report claims. This comes from the fairly reliable Samsung-focused tech blog SamMobile. The company is expected to launch its next-gen Tab S devices in roughly six months, having adopted an 18-month cycle since 2020.

The report notes that this would be distinct from the Active Tab series, which Samsung sells as a rugged alternative to its regular Galaxy S tablets. Samsung's previous Galaxy S tablets had not been equipped with any form of IP rating, though the company had extended it to the similarly sized Fold-series.

Read more