Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Leaked Live Images Suggest a Thin Metal Frame With New Design

Samsung's Galaxy S23 lineup is all set to be launched in the first quarter of 2023. We can expect the usual hardware upgrades to make it to the new S-series lineup. But this time around, leaks have also revealed a new design language that should lend the regular S23 smartphones a different appearance compared to recent models. Now, another set of leaked live images has suggested the design and the inner hardware of what the source claims to belong to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. If so, things do appear quite different.

Contrary to some past leaks that revealed that the Galaxy S23 Ultra would feature a curved edge display and a thicker frame, the latest live images from tipster No Name (@chunvn8888) suggest a perfectly flat front screen that is similar to last year's Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus smartphones. The frame, which has been highlighted in these images, appears quite thin, but has grown thicker and has a matte-finish instead of the polished chrome finish on last year's Galaxy S22 series. While the left side of the frame appears clean, the right side of the frame has the volume rocker followed by the power button and a large cutout for the mmWave 5G antenna.

At the bottom, is a SIM tray, primary mic, USB Type-C port and the visible grille for the primary speaker (left to right). The mirrored arrangement of the bottom cutouts is a welcomed one, as users won't end up blocking the speaker when holding the phone horizontally like with the current Galaxy S22 Ultra. The top of the frame appears quite clean with a single cavity for the secondary mic. As for the exposed rear panel, there are plenty of components, save for the cameras, as per the leaked images.

While the source claims that these images belong to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we believe it belongs to what could possibly be the Galaxy S23 Plus. There are a couple of noticeable indicators why this is so.

Firstly, plenty of past leaks have revealed that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will have its curved edge display and a frame with slightly thicker and flatter sides to accommodate the new, larger primary camera, without having the camera setup protrude too much from the rear panel.

Secondly, the reversed placement of the bottom cutouts is a clear indicator that the S-Pen stylus is missing. The third indicator is the rather small space for the camera components for the Galaxy S23 Ultra's expected camera setup. If the new camera cluster is as complex as last year's with 5 components, this one seems to have enough space for just three cameras, if an arrangement that appears similar to the base Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus models.

Samsung's Galaxy S23 lineup is expected to be revealed in the first week of February next year. The reveal is expected to take place during Samsung's yearly Unpacked event, which as per tradition should also see other Samsung accessories and products getting announced. Since the details above come from an unverified source, we request our readers to take the above information with a spoonful of salt.