Alleged Galaxy S22 Ultra backplate shows an interesting design change

The Galaxy S22 Ultra could be the spiritual LG Velvet 2 Pro that we never got.

What you need to know

• The backplate for the Galaxy S22 Ultra has allegedly been spotted in a leaked image.
• The image shows five cutouts for the various camera elements.
• The rear camera design for the Galaxy S22 Ultra has been disputed among leakers.

The upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra could be one of the most exciting S-series launches in some time if recent leaks are to be believed, but no one seems to agree on one aspect of the design, and that's the camera housing. However, the latest leak may shed some light on the final design of the phone's rear camera layout.

An image of the alleged Galaxy S22 Ultra backplate has emerged, showing five separate cutouts for the cameras. The photo was posted on Weibo before being retweeted by leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, aka Onleaks.

Well, this seems to be #Samsung #GalaxyS22Ultra final rear camera design.... Still "P" shaped but with each single camera lens protruding instead of the usual bump style housing... (source: https://t.co/dbiWVYZsMp) pic.twitter.com/qKcbvE5TMM

- Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) October 21, 2021

If it's to be believed, it would be an interesting departure from Samsung's recent rear camera layouts, which have sat in large, protruding stoves. The camera housing would more resemble the LG Velvet and its raindrop camera layout, as opposed to the two previous designs that were being floated around by leakers:

Of course, from the image, it's not entirely clear where the LED would be housed, assuming Samsung maintains its quad-camera setup and laser-autofocus unit. Although apparently, we weren't the only ones wondering that very thing:

Or maybe one of the two holes on the right is split in half, including a sensor(s) and flash within each half... pic.twitter.com/flqvghClvi

- Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) October 21, 2021

That said, we should take the new camera design with a grain of salt, at least until we start seeing real-life images of the device. Still, depending on your tastes, the change could be a welcome one for some, considering many of the best Android phones have stuck with a similar stove design for a couple of years now.