Galaxy S22 Ultra rumors: What we heard about Samsung’s next high-end phone

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung did not launch a new Galaxy Note since 2020, but that doesn’t mean fans should give up hope. With rumors suggesting a built-in stylus and gigantic display are in store for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung the next premium phone could be the Note sequel we’ve been waiting for. That’s if the rumors and reports turn out to be true, of course.

We’ll have to wait for Samsung to announce its predictions Galaxy S22 range to find out what the new Ultra phone has to offer. This announcement shouldn’t be too far off considering the Galaxy S21 series debuted about a year ago in January 2021.

Here’s everything we expect from the Galaxy S22 Ultra based on rumors and leaks. In addition to the features mentioned below, we also expect the S22 Ultra to support the two versions of 5G, just like its predecessor. For a broader look at what we might see from the entire Galaxy lineup, check out our Galaxy S22 rumor roundup.

A Note-like design with a giant screen and an integrated stylus

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra could have a new design with square edges that looks more like its Note series. That’s according to a variety of leaks, including pictures from indian tech site Figure and well-known leaker Steven Hemmerstoffer, better known by his Twitter alias @OnLeaks. A similar design can be seen in a allegedly leaked promotional poster for the new phone posted by LetsGoDigital and photos from the technical blog 91Mobiles.

For comparison, here’s a photo of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

galaxy-s20-note-20-ultra-fe-product-promo-hoyle-2021-8

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

But perhaps the biggest feature the Galaxy S22 Ultra should inherit from the Note is an included stylus. Digit’s images show a slot for Samsung’s S Pen stylus, and renders published by LetsGoDigital and 91Mobiles also show the stylus pictured next to the phone.

If you need more evidence to suggest that the S22 Ultra will come with an S Pen and a new Note-like design, check out these videos from Hemmerstoffer and YouTube channel Unbox Therapy, both of which claim to show dummy units from Samsung’s Galaxy S22 lineup. (The Unbox Therapy video has been removed from the list and uploaded to another channel.)

The Galaxy S21 Ultra was the first Galaxy S phone to support the S Pen, but there’s no place to store the stylus and you have to buy it separately. Based on the leaks, it looks like Samsung could change that by including the S Pen in the box this year and adding storage to the phone itself.

Following in the footsteps of the S21 Ultra and S20 Ultra, the S22 Ultra is expected to be the biggest phone in Samsung’s new lineup. The Galaxy S22 Ultra could have a 6.8-inch screen with a Dynamic AMOLED panel, according to a leak deal site MySmartPrice and leaker Ishan Agarwal. That would make it roughly the same size as the current Galaxy S21 Ultra. Like its predecessor, it is also said to have the ability to boost the screen refresh rate up to 120Hz.

A new P-shaped camera bump with better zoom

300-using-camera-samsung-galaxy-s21-ultra

The Galaxy S21 Ultra (pictured) has a rectangular camera cutout, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra (not pictured) is said to have a P-shaped camera module.

Sarah Tew/CNET

If you’ve seen the leaked images above, you’ve probably noticed another standout feature: a new P-shaped camera bump. Goals. While the current Galaxy S21 Ultra’s lenses are housed in a rectangular unit, leaks suggest that Samsung may be opting for a P-shaped camera cutout on the S22 Ultra.

But one of the biggest improvements we expect to see in the S22 Ultra’s camera comes down to its zoom capabilities. According to Ice Universe (via SamMobile), another reputable leaker, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have an improved periscope camera lens capable of continuous zooming. This should result in sharper images compared to the S21 Ultra’s fixed camera lenses.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to feature a quad-lens main camera, just like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but reports are mixed on the resolution of its telephoto lenses. A separate article from Ice Universe (via GSMArena) says the S22 Ultra will come with a 108-megapixel main lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and two 12-megapixel telephoto lenses. Meanwhile, the leak from MySmartPrice and Agarwal suggests both telephoto lenses will have a 10-megapixel sensor instead.

Along with the camera specs, MySmartPrice and Agarwal also speculate that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will come in four colors: white, black, burgundy, and green.

Processor, battery life and other key details

008-samsung-galaxy-s21-ultra-front

The Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung typically uses its own Exynos chips and Qualcomm’s processors in its phones, depending on the region, and it’s likely to do the same this year. If the Galaxy S22 Ultra works on Samsung new Exynos 2200 processor, it could be a gaming powerhouse. The chip features an all-new graphics processing unit that it built in conjunction with AMD, which the company says will bring a big boost to gaming and overall graphics performance.

Other markets are likely to get a version of the S22 Ultra that runs on Qualcomm’s latest processor. This will likely mean the US version of the S22 series will run on the recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which the chipmaker says should bring improvements like the ability to capture 8K video at 30 frames per second and 30% faster graphics rendering.

When it comes to battery life, the S22 Ultra should have a lot in common with its predecessor. The S22 Ultra is said to have a 5,000 mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, according to the Leak MySmartPrice, and 45 watt fast charge.

Samsung’s Ultra phones also typically include more memory and storage than their cheaper siblings. If Samsung sticks with the same approach as last year, the cheapest version of the S22 Ultra will likely come with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Other options would include a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and a high-end version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Release date and price

101-samsung-galaxy-s21-and-s21-ultra-comparison

Galaxy S21 Ultra (front) and Galaxy S21 (back).

Sarah Tew/CNET

We don’t know when Samsung will launch the Galaxy S22 line, or how much the new phones will cost. Samsung announced the Galaxy S21 lineup in mid-January last year, but the Galaxy S20 family debuted in February 2020 while the Galaxy S10 series arrived in February 2019. Although the timing varies, there is a chance that Samsung may continue this pattern and announce its new phones in February.

When it comes to pricing, we can expect the Galaxy S22 Ultra to be the most expensive phone in Samsung’s new lineup. What’s less clear is exactly how much it would cost. The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $1,200 without a device trade-in, so Samsung could offer the S22 Ultra at a similar price.

All told, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like a viable successor to Samsung’s popular Galaxy Note. It could also make it easier for Samsung to distinguish the Ultra from the regular Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, although we won’t know for sure until Samsung makes an announcement.


Now Playing:
Look at this:

Top 5 New Samsung Galaxy S22 Rumors


5:45

Comments are closed.