Samsung, please don't let accountants make Galaxy S22 Digital trends

“Controversially, the Galaxy S21 is using a plastic back – yes, on a $ 800 phone.”

This quote is taken from our Samsung Galaxy S21 review and I don’t really want to repeat it when we review the Galaxy S22. The underlying reason behind plastic was a noble cause: it helped reduce prices, but it was a decision made by accountants who were limited to understanding what people wanted or wanted. Deserved From the smallest S series.

Plastic can be fantastic

There’s nothing wrong with a phone with a plastic back, and it’s an effective way to reduce the final cost of a phone, especially when used in conjunction with other cost-cutting measures. Most smartphones priced around $ 200 to $ 400 have plastic backs with Samsung’s own mid-range The Galaxy A52 5G is a great example of where this really works.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Andy Boxal / Digital Trends

From a distance, the back of the A52 5G looks a lot like glass, and on a $ 400 phone, it’s a desirable feature. The texture is also pleasing, and it makes the phone look more expensive than that. Put this visual and touching application together with the great performance of the phone with reasonable price and no one will think about plastic.

The presence of plastic is also somewhat expected. If our budget is below $ 500, we know there will be compromises and the biggest will be materials and overall performance. Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture about a Galaxy A52, such as a plastic-like-looking glass rear panel or the Nokia X20. On a mid-range phone.

What nobody wants except a accountant is a deal that costs $ 800 or more on a flagship phone.

There is no respect for S21

The Galaxy S series is Samsung’s crown jewel. It has been at the forefront of its design and capabilities since its launch in 2010, and even with the rise of the Galaxy Note series and the introduction of the Galaxy Z Fold range, it is still one of the most sought after names by many. Android smartphone.

On the back of a Samsung Galaxy S21. — Samsung Galaxy S21 Andrew Martonic / Digital Trends

Returning a plastic to the Galaxy S21, as was the case with the Galaxy Note 20, and it certainly won’t happen on the Galaxy S22. Yes, the S21 was the cheapest model in the range, but it is not a cheap phone at all and therefore should not use the same price-obscuring technique. Real cheap phone. I also don’t think people were always driven to buy the S21 because it was the cheapest; I think they bought it because it’s the smallest. Why should they change only briefly for that reason?

What’s even more annoying is that Samsung has a number of phones for price-conscious consumers. Along with the excellent Galaxy A series, the Galaxy S20 FE came shortly after the S21, and even today, just weeks before the release of the Galaxy S22, it released the $ 699 Galaxy S21 FE. Although it is very expensive (individual problem is its own), it also has a plastic back. This phone can safely interfere with the accountant.

The name of the Galaxy S series is not understood from a marketing or customer-pleasing perspective, with a similar cost reduction measure and yet charging $ 800, only from an accounting. In an attempt to cut more profits, or as a shady way to push buyers toward the more expensive S21 + or S21 Ultra, Samsung’s accountants have shown disrespect for the humble S21, denouncing it as a “plastic one”.

Galaxy S22 needs better treatment

The Galaxy S22 will not be a cheap or mid-range smartphone, so Samsung will have to keep penny-pinching accountants away from the final spec sheet. They have A series and FE models to play with. What the S22 will be is the smallest member of the new S series, and it really should be the primary distinguishing factor between it and the Galaxy S21 +.

Managed to do so with it Galaxy S20 and S20 +, behind which was Gorilla Glass 5. The differences between them were the size of the screen, the amount of internal storage space, a slightly larger capacity battery and a smaller difference between the capacity of the camera. Yes, these were $ 200 more than both S21 and S21 +, but time has moved on, and if OnePlus could use Gorilla Glass 5 on the back of Nord 2, then Samsung on a phone that costs twice as much.

I agree with the argument that plastic backs may be more durable than glass, but the development of Samsung’s armor aluminum for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, if we can get something similar in the S22 range, may alleviate some of that concern. And really, anyone who wants a truly durable phone won’t look for one that costs $ 800-plus anyway.

But what if the accountants have already forced a return of a plastic to the Galaxy S22 and we are too late? It just has to live permanently in one case, I guess.

Samsung will announce the Galaxy S22 range on February 9 at its first unpacked event of the year, and we’ll cover its launch extensively, so it won’t take long to figure out where the chips fall.