With months to go before Samsung’s expected to announce it, the first leaked renders have appeared for the Galaxy S22 Ultra — and it sure is something. 2021 has been an incredible year for Galaxy phones. Samsung kicked things off in January with the S21 lineup, releasing a trio of top-tier handsets with the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra. A little over a month ago, Samsung returned with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 — its two most refined foldables to date.
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As exciting as this year has been, there’s also been a lingering sense of anxiety for the Galaxy Note lineup. Rumors from last year suggested Samsung was skipping the Note in 2021, and so far, that seems to be the case. The S21 Ultra is the first Galaxy S to work with the S Pen, the Z Fold 3 is the first folding phone to support the accessory, and there have been zero rumors regarding a Galaxy Note 21. With this latest leak of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, it’s now clear why that is.
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On September 24, Digit shared a series of Galaxy S22 Ultra renders created with reliable leaker @OnLeaks. There’s a lot to digest with these renders, but perhaps the biggest takeaway is the S Pen slot on the bottom frame of the phone. Yes — that’s correct. If these renders are accurate, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will come with an S Pen and have a built-in slot to store it. In other words, it looks like Samsung really is done with the Note lineup and moving that Note experience over to the Galaxy S.
Other Big Takeaways From This Galaxy S22 Ultra Leak
Believe it or not, the S Pen isn’t the only Note inspiration seen on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The overall shape of the S22 Ultra has a very boxy appearance, including sharper display corners and a completely flat top and bottom. At a glance, it looks almost identical to the Galaxy Note 10 from 2019. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a huge shift from the softer, rounder aesthetic of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Then there’s the rear camera bump. Following the S21 Ultra’s stunning design, which had the camera flowing seamlessly into the frame of the phone, the S22 Ultra takes a much different approach. Not only is the camera bump no longer part of the frame, but it also has a truly bizarre ‘P’ shape — consisting of three sensors on the left and two on the right. Honestly, it’s a bit much to take it. Smartphones always look better in person than they do in early renders like this. Even so, the initial gut reaction to this design choice isn’t a positive one.
Weird camera bumps aside, these renders are also joined by a couple of leaked specs. The S22 Ultra will reportedly have a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a “high refresh rate.” As for its dimensions, Digit reports them as 163.2 x 77.9 x 8.9mm (with the width increasing to 10.5mm when accounting for the camera). At the very least, it’s safe to assume the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be a fascinating phone to watch over the coming months. Additional leaks are bound to ramp up over the weeks ahead, and then in January or February, Samsung should have a proper announcement to make. In the meantime, this leak will certainly get Samsung fans talking — for better or worse.
