After the announcement of the China-only Motorola Edge X30, the first phone in the world to use the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, many were left wondering what's next for the Lenovo-owned smartphone brand. But recent leaks have told us just what we can expect.
Codenamed "Frontier 22," the next Motorola flagship looks like a heavy-hitter on paper, and the leaked render makes for an interesting looking handset. This massive leak comes courtesy of German publication WinFuture, which has a reliable track record.
Before we dive in, here are the leaked specs.
Motorola Frontier 22 leaked specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Frontier 22 |
| Android version | 12 |
| Display | 6.67-inch P-OLED (2400 x 1080) |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz |
| CPU | Qualcomm SM8475 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB |
| Rear cameras | 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x telephoto |
| Front cameras | 60MP |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh |
| Charging | 125W wired, 50W wireless |
| Connectivity | USB-C, DisplayPort 1.4, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS |
As you can see, there are two things to note. The first and most obvious is the 200MP main camera sensor. If the leaked renders are anything to go by, then this primary shooter is massive. In fact, it reminds us of those old concepts of the Galaxy S22 using a big Olympus sensor. Regardless, megapixel count isn't everything, so we'll have to reserve judgement on this camera.
The other big thing to note is the processor. WinFuture's sources didn't specify the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, instead saying a Qualcomm SM8475. For reference, the current-gen Snapdragon has a model number of SM8450. So SM8475 could be an updated 8 Gen 1, perhaps an awkwardly-named Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. Qualcomm has done this before, where it releases a slightly updated version of its Snapdragon 8 series later in the year.
Otherwise, this is a pretty standard high-end 2022 flagship smartphone. According to this leak, storage flavors come in 128GB or 256GB flavors with the UFS 3.1 standard — RAM is either 8GB or 12GB. The big 6.67-inch P-OLED (plastic OLED) looks very curvy. In fact, the whole device looks rather curvaceous.
Obviously, this phone's biggest competitor will be the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra. Whether Motorola can match Samsung's best (which is rumored to bring back Galaxy Note features) remains to be seen, but this handset, which could be called the Edge 30 Pro, will have its work cut out for it.
There's also the OnePlus 10 Pro to consider, and OnePlus has really stepped up its game with its cameras. (Poor camera performance has historically been the biggest reason to avoid OnePlus phones and Motorola hasn't done well in this area, either.) Otherwise, 125W wired charging is nothing to sneeze at. That kind of wattage ought to recharge that 4,500 mAh battery pretty quickly. And 50W wireless charging matches what OnePlus managed with last year's OnePlus 9 Pro.
WinFuture belives that this phone will appear this July. That's well after the Galaxy S22 launch, and even the rumored OnePlus 10 Pro launch, too. But that would make for a more interesting summer, which is usually a pretty boring time for smartphones, so we won't say no to some extra pizzaz in the hot months this year.
