While Samsung Galaxy S22 leaks have totally laid bare the upcoming Android phones, it's easy to miss the small details when given big leaks, and it sometimes takes otherwise-unimportant leaks to get us to notice the little things.
Case in point, hands-on pictures of cases for the entire Samsung Galaxy S22 range have leaked, via SamMobile. These wouldn't otherwise be noteworthy, as they look almost identical to phone renders we've already seen (and the Galaxy S21 cases for that matter), but the design of them shows a Galaxy S22 screen feature that not everyone will be happy with.
This feature is a flat-edge display. Previous flagship Samsung phones used curved-edge screens for a few generations up until the design element was dropped on the Galaxy S21, and it seems Samsung is sticking with its choice for the S22 and S22 Plus.
The leaked cases show edges that go all the way to the front, whereas cases for curved-side screens typically only cover part of the phone's frame.
Note we're talking about the standard and Plus models – the Ultra devices have always had curved-edge displays, and if the case leak is anything to go by, that's not changing.
So it seems likely that the Galaxy S22 series is sticking with the design of its predecessors, with screens that are totally flat even up to the sides, and Samsung hasn't decided to revert back to the curvy mode of design.
Analysis: good or bad?
Curved-edge displays typically prove rather divisive for flagship phones.
On one hand, mobiles with the feature are comfortable to hold, and the curving glass adds a level of premium elegance that you just don't get with a ‘standard' smartphone.
On the other hand, curved-edge displays are very easy to press with your palm, so it's easy to accidentally select things you don't mean to when holding the phone. They make the mobile more fragile too, especially since cases cover less of the phone as a result.
So some people like the feature and others don't, and it makes sense for Samsung to cater to both audiences.
However, we typically see curvy screens saved for premium phones, and it sounds like the Xiaomi 12 and OnePlus 10 families, two contemporary rivals for the Galaxy S22, could go all-in on the rounded-glass design.
Since Samsung's only premium phone with a curved-edge screen could well be the Ultra model, which we're expecting to have a high price, people who want a phone with top-end specs and a premium design, but not a huge price tag, will find Samsung doesn't offer them what they need.
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