Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra renders show iPhone-style camera island
Android Headlines published the first CAD renders of the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra. The upcoming flagship has a few surprises in store, including a camera island spanning the full width of the back with one fewer camera. Initial rumors suggest that the price will actually increase.
As is often the case with these kinds of rumors, the material comes from the French @OnLeaks, who exclusively shared the material below of the S27 Ultra with Android Headlines. Such CAD renderings typically provide a good indication of the final product, though last-minute changes cannot be ruled out.
What immediately stands out is the wide camera island, which this time spans the entire width of the device. We’ve seen Apple do this before with the iPhone 17 Pro, but as the source itself notes, Samsung has been toying with this idea for some time. Renders of the never-released S26 Edge also surfaced with such a wide camera island, even before Apple released the iPhone 17 series.
From four to three cameras
If we count the number of camera lenses on that module, we don’t get past three. That’s one fewer than on the S26 Ultra. There had already been rumors about the removal of the second telephoto camera, possibly the one with 3x zoom. The 5x zoom telephoto camera would then remain. In practice, this means that portraits and intermediate zoom settings would have to come from a crop of the main camera or the 5x camera, although Samsung could partially compensate for this shortcoming with software and smart cropping on the main camera’s sensor. By removing the second zoom camera, Samsung might save some money, given that the cost of memory chips has risen so sharply.
Ironically, consumers seem to be getting little in return. While earlier reports claimed that Samsung was removing a camera to avoid a price increase, a rumor surfaced via @phonefuturist that the S27 Ultra will cost $1,499 in the U.S., about $200 more than the S26 Ultra at launch. That price rumor comes from a single source for now and is therefore by no means certain, but fewer cameras for more money would be a surprising move for a device called "Ultra."
S Pen remains, battery heading toward 6000 mAh
These images don’t reveal much else about the other specifications, except for the presence of the S Pen. So the stylus survives another year, after having been previously removed from the foldable Galaxy Z Fold series. More good news: rumors point to a larger battery ranging from 5,500 to 6,000 mAh. Samsung has been using a 5,000 mAh battery since the 2020 S20 Ultra, so an upgrade is more than welcome and has been a long time coming.
The Galaxy S27 series is expected in early 2027 at the earliest, but if you’re already a fan of the design, you don’t have to wait that long. You can already purchase the Honor 600 Pro; that device has virtually the same camera module that Samsung has in mind for the S27 Ultra. And it’s available for less than half of what Samsung dares to ask for it: currently starting at €689.
