Update (02/16/2022 @ 03:23 ET): Samsung has issued an official statement explaining the spec change. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 14, 2022, is preserved below.

Following the Galaxy S22 series announcement last week, Samsung has quietly updated the spec sheet for the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. The company initially claimed that both these devices offered 10-120Hz variable refresh rate support, leading us to believe that they featured LTPO panels. However, the updated spec sheet on Samsung's website now states that the devices offer 48-120Hz variable refresh rate support, much like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus from last year.

DSCC's CEO, Ross Young, first highlighted this change and revealed that the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus actually feature LTPS panels that offer 48-120Hz variable refresh rate support.

If you're wondering why Samsung initially mentioned 10-120Hz variable refresh rate support for the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus, here's a probable explanation:

The LTPS panels that Samsung is using on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus have reportedly achieved under 48Hz refresh rates in some demos. Therefore, Samsung probably used the lower variable refresh rate figures in its original marketing material, even though the production models don't actually offer 10-120Hz variable refresh rate support. Samsung has since updated the spec sheet on its website to reflect the accurate 48-120Hz refresh rate figures. We've reached out to Samsung for a comment on the matter, but the company hasn't shared any details so far.

Now that Samsung has updated the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus spec sheet to correctly reflect that the devices offer 48-120Hz variable refresh rate support, it's clear that the regular Galaxy S22 doesn't feature much in terms of display improvements compared to the Galaxy S21 from last year. The Galaxy S22 Plus, however, still has a slightly better display than the Galaxy S21 Plus, as it offers a peak brightness of 1,750nits. For the unaware, the Galaxy S21 Plus offered a peak brightness of 1300nits.

It's also worth mentioning that the top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra does indeed feature an LTPO panel, unlike the other two models. In fact, it features an LTPO 2.0 panel, which offers 1-120Hz variable refresh rate support. That's a significant improvement over the LTPO panel on its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which offered 10-120Hz variable refresh rate support.

If you're still interested in getting your hands on one of the new Galaxy S22 series devices, check out our post on the best Galaxy S22 pre-order deals to save some money on your purchase.


Update: Samsung issues statement explaining the spec change

Samsung has issued a statement explaining why it changed the variable refresh rate spec for the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus following the launch. The company says that while the display components on both devices support 48-120Hz variable refresh rate, it uses a proprietary technology that minimizes data transfer rates from the AP to display to as low as 10Hz for improved power consumption. The 10-120Hz variable refresh rate support originally listed on the spec sheet refers to this proprietary technology. However, the displays on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus don't actually go down to 10Hz.

While the display component of both devices support between 48 to 120Hz, Samsung's proprietary technology offers adjustable display refresh rates, where data transfer rates from AP to display can be minimized to as low as 10Hz in order to save power consumption.

The display refresh rate was originally listed between 10 and 120Hz (10 to 120 frames per second), and we later opted to update how we communicate this specification in order to be in line with the more widely-recognized industry standard.

We've reached out to Samsung for more info on this proprietary technology and we'll make sure to let you know as soon as we learn more.


The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the entry flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance and camera capabilities in a form that fits many pockets and budgets.
Samsung Galaxy S22

The Samsung Galaxy S22 features a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPS display, which offers a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and 48-120Hz variable refresh rate support.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is the mid flagship of the company's 2022 lineup, bringing over top of the line performance, display, and camera capabilities. It runs One UI 4.1 (based on Android 12).
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus features a 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPS display, which offers a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and 48-120Hz variable refresh rate support.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top flagship for 2022, bringing over top of the line performance, display and camera capabilities alongside S Pen capabilities to deliver an ultra experience for power users.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra features a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO panel, which offers a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and 1-120Hz variable refresh rate support.