Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could ditch the dreaded camera bump

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)

Update: The Scene Optimizer camera mode is now so good in the Galaxy S22 Ultra that you can keep it on.

This Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rumors paint the picture of a potentially great flagship, and it will have to be if it’s going to beat the likes of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the new Google Pixel 6 Pro for the title of best phone.

We’ve already seen a number of renders for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, as well as Galaxy S22 schematics and a crude S22 dummy unit. But now we’re getting a possible first look at a photo of the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s backside.

What’s good about this photo is that it doesn’t show a big camera bump. If this photo is legit, we could be lenses that sit more flush with the design. But there’s a couple of important caveats here.

First, while the source of this leak is the fairly reliable @FrontTron on Twitter, this photo surfaced on the Chinese site Weibo, so we would take this leak with a heavy grain of salt.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra leak back panel

(Image credit: Weibo via @FrontTron & @UniverseIce)

Secondly, just because this alleged back panel doesn’t have a camera bump, that doesn’t mean one can’t be added. However, we have seen other rumors that point to a possible “water drop” design for the Galaxy S22 Ultra where the cameras protrude but don’t require a big bump.

Those renders were put together by render artist Parvez "Technizio Concept" in conjunction with LetsGoDigital, which consulted with Korean source "Super Roader.”

Other Galaxy S22 Ultra leaks point to an overall more squared off design, similar to the Galaxy Note series. And this makes sense because the S22 Ultra is tipped to be taking over for the Galaxy Note, complete with integrated storage for the S Pen.

At the time of the previous S22 Ultra design leak, FrontTron responded positively to this concept and veteran leaker Ice Universe also responded "100% !" So this latest evidence could be building towards something legit.

In terms of specs, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will likely feature an improved 108MP sensor along with a 12MP ultra-wide and and 12MP telephoto lens. We’re more excited about the new Exynos 2200 chip that support AMD’s RDNA architecture for a serious graphics boost.

The Galaxy S22 lineup is expected to debut in January or February, so we expect a lot ore rumors and leaks before then. Be sure to bookmark our Galaxy S22 hub page for all the latest info. 

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.

  • Greygeek
    Sleek perhaps, but if it doesn't support memory expansion with a SD Card, who cares? Do you know how quickly the limited / fixed memory fills up when one is shooting 4k or 8k video? And that with no wired headphone capability too? If I wanted a overpriced capped / crippled iPhone, I'd buy an iPhone. Samsung isn't listening to its customers.
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