Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S22 range of smartphones is now available throughout the UAE, after the Korean company recorded strong pre-order sales.
Orders for the GCC as a whole were up 46 per cent compared with those for the Galaxy S21, Samsung Gulf said in February.
The new devices have been released following Apple's launch of its cheaper iPhone SE range this month, after the iPhone 13 was unveiled in September last year.
Samsung remains the world’s top mobile phone vendor, with shipments up 7.6 per cent in 2021, according to research firm Gartner. It held on to its top position with a 19 per cent market share, selling more than 272.3 million smartphones last year.
What are the new Galaxy S22 options?
There are three different devices ─ the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra, available in green, Phantom black and Phantom white. Unique to the Galaxy S22 and S22+ is the rose gold version, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra also comes in burgundy.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ come with two storage options – 128GB and 256GB – while the Galaxy S22 Ultra is available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models.
The S22 has a 6.1-inch screen size, while the S22+ is 6.6 inches and the S22 Ultra features a 6.8-inch screen.
Samsung's S22 series takes the battle to Apple's iPhone
How is the S22 Ultra different?
The Ultra comes with a built-in S Pen, as seen on the now defunct Note series. Samsung says it has a “more realistic pen-to-paper feel”. The phone also comes with advanced night photography features, “the first-ever Galaxy S battery that lasts for more than a day”, Samsung’s fastest processing chip and a better camera.
When no new Note device was launched last August, Samsung “didn’t observe or receive any comments from our end-users ... but we know there is a segment of users that need the Note experience, which we are now providing them in the S22 Ultra”, Osman Albora, senior director of Samsung Gulf’s mobile experience division, told The National.
What is the price in the UAE?
Telecom operator du is offering the S22 from Dh130 per month for the 128GB device and for Dh140 per month for the 256GB option across two years. The S22+ is available for Dh155 per month in 128GB or for Dh165 per month with 256GB. The S22 Ultra is priced at Dh190 per month for 128GB, Dh210 per month for the 256GB option and Dh220 per month for the 512GB device.
Etisalat is offering the S22 256GB version at Dh95 per month for 36 months, Dh140 per month for 24 months and Dh185 per month for 18 months. The 128GB model is out of stock.
The S22 Ultra 128GB version is priced at Dh135 per month for 36 months, Dh200 a month for two years, Dh260 monthly for 18 months and Dh390 per month for 12 months. A one-time payment of Dh4,699 is another option.
The 512GB version is available for Dh160 a month for 36 months, Dh230 a month for 24 months, Dh305 a month for 18 months and Dh455 a month for one year. Alternatively, the device costs Dh5,499.
Those buying direct from Samsung receive the Galaxy Buds Pro, worth Dh739, free of charge with each purchase of the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra.
