As rumored, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will basically become the next-gen “Note” device, thanks to the S Pen inclusion. The phone is expected not only to ship with the S Pen, but include the S Pen dock as well. Its shape will also resemble the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, if the leaks are to be believed. All in all, there’s a lot to talk about. We’ll split this preview into a number of sections, so let’s get started. This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (this is a preview article) — both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims — as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on January 26.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra will look different than its siblings
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will offer a different design compared to its siblings. It will likely be made out of metal and glass, like the Galaxy S22+, but it will look different. Its top and bottom sides will be completely flat, while it will offer a curved display. That’s not where the differences end, though. The rear camera setup will look different as well, as Samsung got inspired by LG’s raindrop camera design this time around. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ will follow the Galaxy S21 series design language.
A curved display will be included
The “Ultra” model will also be larger than its siblings, while it will have a slightly thicker “chin” than the Galaxy S22+. Its display will be less curved than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s, though. So, it won’t exactly offer a major curve, and will be far less curved than “Waterfall” displays. That is something people will surely appreciate. A display camera hole will be present on the display, and it will be centered as on the Galaxy S21 series. Samsung opted not to include an under-display camera here. As already mentioned, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will basically replace the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It will be a cross between a Galaxy S and a Galaxy Note device. It is rumored to ship with the S Pen, and a dock for it, similar to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. There were even some rumors that the phone may carry the “Note” branding, but it won’t.
CAD & official (leaked) renders
The phone’s design did leak several times thus far. The CAD-based renders of the device leaked quite some time ago, and long after that, seemingly-official renders of the phone, giving us an excellent look at it. Those are mostly accurate, but the camera setup on the back will look different. These concept renders actually do a good job of showing what the rumors and leaks have been saying. They could represent the final design of the device. You can check out the concept video below. CAD renders (different camera design): Galaxy S22 Ultra renders in all colors: The Galaxy S22 Ultra renders appeared in all four color options. These renders come from Evan Blass, and it seems like they’re official. They show us the phone from various angles, including its S Pen stylus. Galaxy S22 series dummy units in video:
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) December 13, 2021
Real-life images also surfaced
In addition to all that, real-life images of the device also surfaced. Those images give us an excellent look at the phone. You can clearly see the S Pen and the dock in the bottom-left corner. The display camera hole is visible, its curved display, and even the redesigned camera setup. Check out the gallery below. The Galaxy S22 Ultra backplate:
Galaxy S22 Ultra seemingly-official renders
Two sets of Galaxy S22 Ultra renders appeared. One image was shared by Evan Blass, containing the Galaxy S22 Ultra renders from almost all angles. You can check it out below this paragraph.
The second set of renders comes from 91mobiles. The website shared quite a few watermarked images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. These images also depict the phone from various angles. Check out the gallery below.
Two SoC variants will arrive, as expected
Needless to say, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the most powerful Galaxy S22 series smartphone. Its detailed specs surfaced ahead of launch. It will differ from the Galaxy S22 and S22+ quite a bit in the spec department. Two processor variants will be available, one fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the other with the Exynos 2200. Do note that those two SoC names haven’t been confirmed yet. The point is, Samsung will use next-gen Snapdragon and Exynos flagship SoCs. A report claims that it will bring improved heat management (the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 model) to the table as well, compared to its predecessor. A 6.8-inch QHD+ (3,080 x 1440) curved AMOLED display will be included, with up to 1,750 nits of brightness. That panel will include a camera hole at the top, and will support HDR10+ content. That will also be an LTPO display, of course, so it will offer an adaptive refresh rate. Speaking of which, this will likely be a 120Hz display. One report even said that it will offer a record peak display brightness of around 1,750 nits. The Galaxy S21 Ultra maxes out at 1,500 nits.
Both 12GB & 16GB RAM variants are expected
The base model of the device will likely offer 8GB of RAM. A 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage model is also expected, but a 16GB RAM variant may appear in some markets. Who knows, maybe we even end up getting a 1TB model. A microSD card slot won’t be present, so you won’t be able to expand that storage.
Samsung will offer a 5,000mAh battery & 45W charging combo
The phone is rumored to keep the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor. It will also support 45W fast wired charging, based on rumors. Wireless charging will be on offer too, likely a 15W one, and you’ll be able to use reverse wireless charging to top up your TWS earphones, or something of the sort. Do note that a charging brick won’t be included in the box. The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, while it will offer stereo speakers. A 3.5mm headphone jack won’t be included in the package. Bluetooth 5.2 support is expected here, and the same goes for an in-display fingerprint scanner (an ultrasonic one). Gorilla Glass Victus+ is expected to protect both the display, and the phone’s backplate. The device will also offer dual SIM support, at least in some markets. The S Pen stylus will be a part of the package, and Samsung has, allegedly, massively reduced the S Pen latency. It is tipped to launch in Black, White, Dark Red, and Green color variants. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is said to measure 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm, while it will weigh 228 grams.
It could offer a similar camera setup to the Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be well-equipped in the camera department. First and foremost, Samsung is not partnering up with Olympus, as some rumors indicated. Those rumors were put to rest a while back. What we do know about the Galaxy S22 Ultra camera setup is that Samsung doesn’t plan to change much compared to its predecessor. The S22 Ultra will likely still include a 108-megapixel main camera, in addition to two 10-megapixel, and one 12-megapixel cameras. The 12-megapixel unit is reserved for an ultrawide camera (0.6x, Sony’s sensor, 1.4um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV). One 10-megapixel camera will be a telephoto unit (3x, Sony’s sensor, 1.12um pixel size, f/2.4 aperture, 36-degree FoV). The last camera on the back will also be a 10-megapixel unit, but a periscope one (10x, Sony’s sensor, 1.12um pixel size, f/4.9 aperture). Something called the ‘Super Clear Lens‘ was also mentioned in leaks, and that allegedly stands for a lens that will help with light reflection.
It will include five cameras overall
So, we’re looking at five cameras overall, as on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Four will be included on the back, and one will sit on the front. Samsung will, without a doubt, improve the camera experience compared to the S21 Ultra, though. The company may even include some new camera sensors in the mix. Some rumors said that a 200-megapixel camera may be included, but that won’t be the case. A tipster claims that he saw a camera sample from the S22 Ultra, and that we can expect notable improvements.
The Galaxy S22 series will become official in February
So, when is the Galaxy S22 Ultra coming? The device will become official in February, along with the Galaxy S22 and S22+. The company confirmed that quite recently, by saying that the launch will occur on February 9. We still don’t know the exact event time, at least not officially. The event is tipped to kick off at 7 AM PST / 10 AM EST / 4 PM CET. All three devices are expect to become available to purchase on February 25. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is tipped to be more expensive than its predecessor. That is to be expected, as it includes an S Pen and an S Pen dock this time around. Its base model, with 256GB of storage, is said to cost around $100 more than the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s base model with 128GB of storage. In other words, it could end up costing around $1,299. In Europe, its price will allegedly be €1,299. That goes for the 8GB RAM model with 128GB of storage, by the way. The 12GB RAM model with 256GB of storage will cost €1,399, while the 12GB RAM model may end up costing €1,499.
