Update: The Galaxy Note line is fully dead, RIP.
It's December and 2022 is right around the corner, which means that it's almost time for Samsung to reveal the Galaxy S22 series. While we expect the regular and Plus models to be largely the same as their Galaxy S21 predecessors, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has us very intrigued.
Leaks and rumors up to this point have suggested that Samsung might resurrect the Galaxy Note in the form of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. From a strikingly similar design to a built-in S Pen, this phone could be the device that Note fans have been asking for (since the Galaxy Note 21 never materialized).
Over on Twitter, Ice Universe posted some photos allegedly showing off the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The tweet had no commentary and no source, just photos of the phone with a clear case. These pictures don't show the S22 Ultra in full detail, but we can glean a bit of information from them.
pic.twitter.com/MD5vRR6hRyNovember 29, 2021
Remember that, as with all leaks, you should take what is presented here a dose of skepticism. First off, we see a big difference with the camera module presentation versus the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Gone is the metal contour that blends in with the phone's frame. Instead, we see each lens sitting flush with the back of the phone, all of them on their own without a specific housing.
The phone's design definitely evokes memories of the Galaxy Note design language. With the blocky look and flat top and bottom, this device looks much more like a Note than a Galaxy S device. Considering that it's rumored to have a built-in S Pen, maybe Samsung is hoping to extend an olive branch to Note fans spurned by the death of their beloved phone family.
We don't know where Ice Universe acquired these photos, so we can't say where the case maker (from where we assume these photos originated) got the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It could be a dummy model based on designs sent by Samsung, or the manufacturer could be going off of something else entirely.
As for what we expect, the Galaxy S22 Ultra might have a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED display, likely with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. The North America variant should have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, with Samsung likely reserving its own Exynos 2200 chip for other markets.
Other rumors suggest that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will sport a 108MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 10x and 10MP 3x telephoto lenses. Ice Universe also leaked additional details about the camera specs.
