The new design information comes from experienced leaker Ice Universe (opens in new tab), who shows us the newer, blockier top-down profile of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and of the existing Galaxy S22 Ultra. He also includes a handy diagram showing how the two phones will apparently compare. As a large phone, the Galaxy S23 Ultra benefits from having rounded sides that help users hold it comfortably, and access all areas of the display. A more squared-off body could be cause for concern if it makes the phone less ergonomic, but perhaps it’ll be a worthwhile trade-off if it makes the curve of the display more subtle, as the diagram seems to show. Many users prefer flat displays, particularly when using a stylus such as the built-in S Pen that comes with the S22 Ultra and will most likely appear with the S23 Ultra too. The second new Galaxy S23 detail also comes from Ice Universe (opens in new tab), and shows what’s implied to be part of the Samsung camera app, with two buttons offering 3:4 200MP and 50MP modes. We’ve already heard the rumors of Samsung’s new 200MP main camera for the Ultra model, but previously sources thought there wouldn’t be a 50MP mode. That would have been unfortunate since 50MP offers a middle ground between the full 200MP resolution and the more colorful and brighter default resolution, likely 12.5MP like other 200MP camera phones. But if 50MP is indeed going to be a third resolution option, that will allow Galaxy S23 Ultra users more freedom to shoot images in maximum detail, maximum brightness or somewhere in between. The other major rumored change for the Galaxy S23 Ultra is it’ll get a new chipset, likely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from what we’ve heard. That chip is rumored for the basic Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus too, with these cheaper models also tipped for a new Galaxy S22 Ultra-inspired design and improved selfie cameras. We’ll likely see the Galaxy S23 series early next year, looking at Samsung’s last few years of Galaxy S launches. The current crop of rumors suggests we’ll see the phones much earlier than usual though, with the possibility of a launch in mid-January.
