Some of the most exciting rumors about the Galaxy S27 series are related to the potential camera upgrades for the new models, but it appears they won’t be equally available across all new models. A new rumor suggests that one of the most interesting camera improvements may be reserved only for the higher-end Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro.
Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus are probably not getting a selfie camera upgrade
Samsung may continue using the same front-facing camera on the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus as last year. According to a Galaxy Club report (translated source), the two base models will arrive with the same 12MP sensor for the selfie camera, missing the upgrade expected on the higher-end phones.
Earlier reports claimed that the Galaxy S27 Ultra and S27 Pro will get a significant upgrade to the front cameras thanks to a new sensor. That’s rumored to be a 16MP square sensor, similar to the one in the iPhone 17 series, which would allow a more flexible selfie shooting.
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Galaxy S27 may have the same selfie camera for the fifth year in a row
Samsung Galaxy S26. | Image by PhoneArena
If this rumor turns out to be true, the two base models will continue using the same sensor that Samsung has been using since the Galaxy S23 series. The company first introduced the 12MP selfie camera in 2023, and hasn’t changed it ever since.
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This new rumor is hardly surprising, though. So far, reports about the upgraded square sensors have always only mentioned the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro, with no information about the base models. Galaxy Club hasn’t cited any sources for this rumor, which leaves some hope it could be wrong. A reason to believe there could be an upgrade coming to the S27 and S27 Plus is that Samsung has been using the same selfie cameras across its Galaxy S lineups in the past five years.
Some Samsung fans weren’t bothered by this rumor, saying they don’t use the selfie camera anyway. However, other Reddit users are noticing that the base Galaxy S models are getting very little attention once again, which they say is quite disappointing.
Samsung's treatment of the base models is not sitting well with some Galaxy fans. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
Not the only brand to have the same approach
As disappointing as this may sound, Samsung is hardly alone in making such a difference with the selfie cameras on its phones. The base Pixel 11 features a 10.5MP sensor, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL sport 42MP sensors for their selfie cameras.
In this regard, Apple is the exception among the big three, at least for now. The vanilla iPhone 17 comes with the same 18MP square sensor for the selfie camera as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The same sensor is used on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but we’re yet to see whether it’ll be on the base iPhone 18 as well.
However, none of this makes it any easier to excuse Samsung’s potential decision to continue using the same camera sensor it had on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S25, and Galaxy S26 series. Even if they don’t get the same treatment as the Ultra and Pro models, the S27 and S27 Plus certainly deserve an upgrade, especially with the rumored price increases.
The photos could still look great
Samsung is notorious for repeatedly using the same components for its cameras, but that hasn’t stopped the photo quality from improving year after year. As much as I’d like to finally see some hardware improvements, I still think getting better photos is way more important than the specs. That’s why I’d be much happier to see a practical upgrade and better selfies than higher numbers with little real-life impact.
Check out some of the latest stories about the Galaxy S series:
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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