Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra leaks out in real-life images with S Pen on deck

First real-life images of the anticipated Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have just leaked out, giving us what's likely our first real look at the upcoming flagship that's a tad more tangible than mere renders. Well, courtesy of Front Page Tech's Jon Prosser, we get to see the Galaxy S22 Ultra in all its real-life glory.

The first unexpected change that strikes us is the lack of a dedicated camera island where all the camera lenses reside. Indeed, the Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra featured quite the prominent camera islands, but the Galaxy S22 Ultra completely does away with this important design element and substitutes it for… well, nothing really. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with camera lenses that stick out directly out of the phone's rear panel in a P-shape. Certainly a callback to simpler times when cameras were a lot less imposing from a visual standpoint, but the lack of a camera island that we've grown accustomed to in recent times would certainly require some getting used to, though it certainly looks elegant.

Maybe Samsung leaked the S22 Ultra in advance so that people could get used to the new camera design?

Another important takeaway from the newly-leaked images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the slightly curved display, which trumps the rumors that claimed Samsung will be going for an all-flat screen this time around. Judging from the leaked photos, the S22 Ultra could feature a slightly more curved display than the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but that remains to be seen once the phones become official or even more credible leaks catch our attention.

What also makes a strong impression on us is the flat-framed design at the bottom of the phone, which certainly brings back memories of the Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra from the not-so distant past. It's a welcome return to the classy and understated design of the Galaxy Note design language that emphasizes the DNA of Samsung's S Pen monsters.

At the bottom, we can also see the S Pen neatly tucked inside its bespoke silo. This feature has been wildly rumored for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and it has in fact brought up suspicions that the range-topping device early next year could be actually called Note 22 Ultra. For now, at least, the Galaxy S22 Ultra name seems to be sticking, and it would seem that the unique features of the Galaxy Note lineup will be completely gobbled up by the most premium Galaxy S phones in the future.

The 6.8-inch Super AMOLED with variable refresh rate is pictured here, with some censored parts of the display blackened out to seemingly hide some sensitive info. Actually, there are quite a lot of such edits in almost all the leaked Galaxy S22 Ultra photos, which speaks well for their credibility - they certainly contain information that might reveal who has leaked the anticipated Samsung device.

Ironically, there's a non-ambiguous sticker on the back of the device, warning against leaks, photos, and especially not for sale.

We will get a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED display with variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz), and most probably a ultrasonic fingerprint under the display. The camera loadout reportedly comes in with a 108MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto, and a 10MP periscope camera at the rear. Inside, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 will be ticking inside the US version of the phone, while the international version will be powered by the Exynos 2200 chipset.

Finally, a 5,000mAh battery will be powering the whole shebang, hopefully giving a decent endurance. Recent rumors about possible chip shortage delays as well as accommodations of the Galaxy S21 FE in the lineup have reportedly pushed the Galaxy S22 release to February. We expect the Galaxy S22 Ultra to start at around $1,199 and only go up from there.