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Galaxy S22 Ultra design appears in first leaked renders

Published Sep 24th, 2021 7:37PM EDT
Galaxy S22 Note
Image: Samsung

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After canceling this year’s model, Samsung seems to have decided what to do about its Galaxy Note problem. Reports in the past few months said that Samsung might discontinue the Note series for good. Some rumors claimed that Samsung had already made up its mind, as the Korean giant had not renewed the Note trademark. But then a bombshell dropped a few days ago from an insider: the Galaxy S22 Ultra would be the new Note. That’s to say that Samsung will complete the job it started this year. The Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the S Pen, but you can’t house the stylus inside the phone (as seen above). That’s what made the Galaxy Note phones so appealing to fans.

A leaker said earlier this week that Samsung decided to equip the Galaxy S22 Ultra with a built-in S Pen stylus. The move would fix Samsung’s Note problem. The company would be able to satisfy the demands of hardcore Note fans without actually launching a Galaxy Note 22 next summer. A different leaker now offers us the first look at what might be the Galaxy S22 Ultra Note design.

The first rumors are already here

Galaxy S22 rumors might seem out of place in late September, but the timing makes plenty of sense. First of all, Samsung moved its Galaxy S launch to early January. The Galaxy S22 series is just four months away, which means the S22 rumor season is just beginning.

Secondly, this is the week when Apple launches the iPhone 13 series around the world. It can’t be a coincidence that these early S22 design rumors emerged right now.

The iPhone 13 series sold out on the first day of preorders, and Apple has another hit on its hands. The iPhone 13 will surely become the world’s best-sold phone, following in the footsteps of its predecessor. Phones like the Galaxy S22 will compete directly against the iPhone 13. And the stylus-enabled Galaxy S22 Ultra “Note” will be one of the leading iPhone 13 Pro Max alternatives.

Galaxy S22 Ultra 'Note' design
Render shows the purported Galaxy S22 Ultra ‘Note’ design. Image source: @OnLeaks and Digit

It’s unclear how Samsung will brand this Galaxy S and Galaxy Note contraption. While the commercial name is yet to leak, we have the first unofficial Galaxy S22 Ultra Note renders in the wild.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra ‘Note’ design

Blog Digit partnered with well-known leaker @OnLeaks to reveal the first Galaxy S22 Ultra Note renders.

As seen in these images, the phone looks, well, just like a Galaxy Note. We said this time and again in the past year. The Galaxy Note is practically a Galaxy S version with a built-in S Pen stylus. There’s no real point in launching a Galaxy S version with a stylus in the summer. If these leaks are accurate, Samsung will add the S Pen to the Galaxy S series. But all the new Galaxy S phones will launch early in the year, bundled together rather than six months apart. It’s unclear, however, if Samsung will make an S22 Ultra version without a stylus.

The renders suggest the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a curved 6.8-inch screen and round edges, a design meant to accommodate the built-in stylus. The S Pen will be placed on the left side, according to these images. As a result, the phone will be relatively thick, at 8.9mm. The camera bump will increase the thickness to 10.5mm, the report explains.

Galaxy S22 Ultra 'Note' design
Render shows the purported Galaxy S22 Ultra ‘Note’ design. Image source: @OnLeaks and Digit

What’s unusual about this purported Galaxy S22 Ultra Note design is the camera bump on the back. The phone has a P-shaped, asymmetrical camera module, unlike what Samsung has done before. The camera module looks nothing like the camera module design Samsung used for the S21 series. This year, the S21’s camera module is encased in the metal frame, which gives the S21 series a unique design.

The video below shows this Galaxy S22 Ultra Note design from various angles.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.