Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be an all-rounder. | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy S26 Ultra sparked a big debate when it launched earlier this year. Fans were furious with the incremental upgrades and the lack of innovation. I remember one MrWhostheboss video, where he criticized heavily the model only to conclude that the Galaxy S26 Ultra was the best phone for regular people.
He argued that Samsung is focusing on features and hardware that most people would use. The company has steered away from fringe technology and features tailored toward enthusiasts and geeks.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra is shaping up to be cut from the same cloth. It seems that Samsung doesn't want to compete with other brands for prestigious labels such as "camera phone," "battery phone," etc. The Korean company is happy to sell an all-rounder as its best smartphone, and that's not right.
Recommended For You
Should Samsung be more aggressive with the cameras on the Galaxy S27 Ultra?
Samsung is selling top camera sensors to competitors
The ISOCELL HPC comes with the industry's first DeepPix tech, but we won't see it on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. | Image by Samsung
The aforementioned ISOCELL HPC, just like many other top models from Samsung Semiconductors, will most likely end up in a Chinese phone, possibly the next Vivo, Oppo, or Xiaomi.
Why is Samsung selling its best camera sensors to competitors while slapping old or less capable ones on Galaxy phones?
On one hand, Samsung doesn't want to take huge risks with the Galaxy Ultra. It's the best-selling flagship phone of the company, and the recipe should remain stable, without adding too many variables.
On the other hand, Chinese phones, especially those fighting for the "camera phone" crown, are ready to take all the risks and offer a rough-around-the-edges product, which is "the best" in one particular area.
Things are not black and white. Nowadays, software algorithms do some heavy lifting in smartphone photography. Having the latest and greatest camera sensor is often not enough. Just take a look at Sony and Xperia phones. Speaking of which.
Is Samsung doomed to follow Sony when it comes to camera phones?
Sony launched a phone dubbed 'The Camera' back in 2021. | Image by PhoneArena
That's not likely. For one, Samsung understands what the mainstream customer wants and follows the recipe. Granted, some people may voice their disappointment, lament the lack of upgrades and the raising prices, and compare the Galaxy S27 Ultra to Chinese camera phones. But in the end the vast majority of people will end up buying the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Sony, on the other hand, never feared to use the latest sensors on their flagship models and even fitted a real compact camera sensor on a phone. The lack of proper software support for these sensors is what's dragging Xperia phones down on the camera front.
Removing one of the cameras on the Galaxy S27 Ultra is an unfortunate downgrade, but with all the sensor cropping and image processing algorithms, the 3X telephoto camera of the Galaxy S26 Ultra won't be missed.
Do we really need "camera" phones?
Samsung tried the camera phone formula back in 2013 with the Galaxy S4 Zoom. | Image by ePhotoZine
That's a very good question. MrWhostheboss is right, though. Most people need an all-rounder that can tackle everything well enough.
The camera system is a very important part and often a desired feature on a smartphone, but it might be far less important than we think. The latest poll here at PhoneArena showed that people want a bigger battery on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, and this upgrade is long overdue.
Most flagships snap great photos, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Analogously, most people don't need and use pro mode when shooting, and they mostly look at photos on smartphone screens and tablets.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra won't be getting the "camera phone" tag, but I think it's okay. At least for most people. What do you think? Should Samsung be more aggressive with the camera tech on its flagships?
And if you're interested in the Galaxy S27 Ultra or camera phone tech these might interest you:
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: