If you're waiting for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27+, you might want to give it a second thought. That's because, according to the latest leaks, Samsung could strip a key feature from the flagship—and it's no small deal.
Samsung Galaxy S27+ could lose ultra-wideband connectivity
The alleged Chinese certification documents are missing UWB connectivity for the Galaxy S27+ model. | Image by X
The leak comes from Abhishek Yadav (good track record when it comes to Samsung-related leaks), who posted on X about Chinese MIIT certification documents for the upcoming Galaxy S27 series.
The documents show the connectivity options for each of the four models, and there's bad news for Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27+ fans.
These two lower-tier models won't feature ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity, as it will be reserved for the Galaxy S27 Pro and the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
What is ultra-wideband (UWB)?
UWB comes with a lot of benefits for precise tracking and device-to-device connectivity. | Image by Aker
Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range wireless radio technology that uses very wide frequency bandwidths and sends out brief nanosecond pulses to track exact locations and distances with centimeter-level precision.
The technology has many applications, but in smartphones, it allows for super-precise tracking. Systems such as Apple's Find My and Samsung's Find My Mobile rely on UWB to track the exact location of a lost device.
The ecosystem of smart trackers, such as Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags, also relies on UWB for precise tracking. But that's not all.
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Ultra-wideband (UWB) is also used in keyless car systems where you use your smartphone to unlock your vehicle. Unlike NFC, where you need to tap your device against the door handle of the car, UWB-equipped phones unlock the car from your pocket—no further actions needed.
How important is UWB connectivity to you in a smartphone?
0 Votes
No UWB on the base Galaxy S27 is not surprising
Samsung never equipped any of the vanilla Galaxy S models with the feature, so the lack of UWB on the Galaxy S27 is not surprising.
However, the company has been slapping UWB on Galaxy Plus devices ever since the Galaxy S21+. That's six years and six generations of phones.
Removing it from the Galaxy S27+ might disappoint many fans of the model and steer them away from the affordable big-screen device. But maybe that was Samsung's plan all along?
Is Samsung trying to boost the new Galaxy S27 Pro model?
Leaked Galaxy S27 series cases show the design changes and how the four models will look. | Image by IceUniverse
Samsung is expected to launch four models next year, and the Galaxy S27 Pro will make its debut as the first "Pro" device in the lineup.
The Galaxy S27 Pro will serve as a smaller Galaxy S27 Ultra, featuring the same new "camera plateau" design as the Ultra model, but in a more compact form factor.
It's a strange segregation, as the Plus model has been the one to serve that particular purpose up to now. People who wanted a big-screen Galaxy flagship without the Ultra price tag often reached out to pick up a Plus model.
Now, Samsung is further stretching the portfolio, giving people a distinct new design for the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra, and keeping the old look on the vanilla and Plus models. That's kind of similar to what Apple did with the iPhone 17 series.
Is the lack of UWB a big deal?
It can be, depending on a few specific scenarios. If you own a car that supports smart keyless unlocks using a smartphone, the lack of UWB can be a dealbreaker.
Another possible scenario involves the use of Samsung SmartTag 3 devices: the Galaxy S27+ won't be able to locate those nearly as precisely as UWB-equipped phones.
But then again, if you don't fall into either of these two groups or scenarios, you'd be perfectly fine with the Galaxy S27+.
There's also a third option: the leaked Chinese certification documents could be wrong and missing the UWB connectivity option on the S27+.
How important is this connectivity feature to you?
Read more about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 series here:
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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.
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