Samsung Galaxy S22 probably won't have an under-display camera

Samsung Galaxy S21
(Image credit: TechRadar)

Not so long ago it was rumored that the Samsung Galaxy S22 would have an under-display camera, but now another source is claiming it’s not to be, and for some good reasons.

In a blog post on Naver (a South Korean site), a source claims that the production yield is currently too low to build enough units for a phone as popular as the Samsung Galaxy S22 is sure to be. On top of that, the image quality apparently doesn’t meet Samsung’s standards, and the camera itself is apparently still slightly visible under the screen.

None of this is surprising. The ZTE Axon 20 5G included the first under-display smartphone camera, and that was both slightly visible and uninspiring in terms of photo quality. So it makes sense that Samsung would wait until these problems are solved before equipping its main flagships with such a snapper.

Still coming to the Z Fold 3

The source appears to additionally say that – as has long been rumored – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will launch this year with an under-display camera. We say ‘appears to’ because this is via slightly clunky machine translation.

Still, we’d expect that phone to have this snapper, as beyond it having been repeatedly rumored, given that the Z Fold 3 will probably have a secondary selfie camera, the quality concerns are less significant. It's also sure to sell a lot less than the Galaxy S22 range, so the limited production yield is less likely to be a problem.

Apparently the first perfected under-display camera (with ideal photo quality and no visible lens) is now planned for the second half of 2022 at the earliest, with next year’s Samsung Galaxy Note model (if there is such a phone) being a likely candidate for it.

As ever with leaks we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt, but these claims sound convincing, especially as a recent leak from @UniverseIce (a leaker with a solid track record) supports the idea that Samsung’s under-display camera hasn’t been perfected just yet, with a mosaic-like effect apparently visible where the lens sits under the Z Fold 3’s display.

Via SamMobile

TOPICS

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Sorry, Samsung fans: the tri-fold Galaxy phone might not make it to the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung shows off a creaseless folding phone display – and it improves on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 design in 3 key ways
an image of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
If this Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rumor is true, there’s no way I’ll be able to recommend it
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris in front of the Louvre pyramid
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: latest news, rumors, and everything we’ve heard so far
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition in Black Shadow
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 set to steal the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition's best features – and this is a much-needed upgrade
If the iPhone 17 gets this rumored Face ID upgrade, I'll never call Apple unoriginal again
Latest in Samsung Galaxy Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 from the front
The Now Bar on Samsung One UI 7 is about to get a lot more useful – and could soon match Live Activities on iOS
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
A fresh Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge leak hints at a 2K display and a titanium frame
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris in front of the Louvre pyramid
I switched to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 five months ago and I haven’t looked back – here are five things you need to know before buying a foldable phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris in front of the Louvre pyramid
5 things I want from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series of phones lying face down.
Samsung announces One UI 7 is coming to older phones after all, but the launch is still a mess
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
A fresh Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge benchmark leak has eased my worries about its performance
Latest in News
DeepSeek
Deepseek’s new AI is smarter, faster, cheaper, and a real rival to OpenAI's models
Open AI
OpenAI unveiled image generation for 4o – here's everything you need to know about the ChatGPT upgrade
Apple WWDC 2025 announced
Apple just announced WWDC 2025 starts on June 9, and we'll all be watching the opening event
Hornet swings their weapon in mid air
Hollow Knight: Silksong gets new Steam metadata changes, convincing everyone and their mother that the game is finally releasing this year
OpenAI logo
OpenAI just launched a free ChatGPT bible that will help you master the AI chatbot and Sora
An aerial view of an Instavolt Superhub for charging electric vehicles
Forget gas stations – EV charging Superhubs are using solar power to solve the most annoying thing about electric motoring