Home
News
You are here

The Galaxy S27 may be making a sacrifice for the greater good

The Galaxy S27 series may not offer an upgrade on a major front.

By Polina Kovalakova

Published: Sep 21, 2026, 5:37 AM

Samsung

Galaxy S Series

Add us as a preferred source on Google Search

A person using the Galaxy S26 Ultra's battery.

Galaxy S26 Ultra for illustrative purposes. | Image by PhoneArena

The Galaxy S27 series may feature four models and come with some appreciated battery size changes (at least on some devices), but its RAM and storage configurations may be anything but surprising.

If you were hoping for a groundbreaking innovation on this front, it may be time to adjust your expectations.

Only one Galaxy S27 model may get 16GB RAM

SM-S952U
12GB - 256GB, 512GB

SM-S956
12GB - 256GB, 512GB

SM-S957U
12GB - 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

SM-S958U
12GB - 256GB, 512GB
16GB - 1TB
— Walle (@WalleGalaxy) August 4, 2026

A leak published last month on X may have given us the RAM and storage variants of the Galaxy S27 series months before launch. Tipster @WalleGalaxy claims the upcoming Galaxy S27 (model SM-S952) and the S27+ (SM-S956) will offer pretty much identical configurations to their predecessors, featuring 12GB RAM and 256/512GB storage.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Galaxy S27 Pro (model SM-S957), which is expected to sit between the S27 Ultra and the Plus model, might come with as much as 1TB of storage, though its RAM could stick to 12GB.

In other words, there may be just one Galaxy S27 model with 16GB RAM. Reportedly, this will be the buffed-up 16GB/1TB S27 Ultra (SM-S958).

While this information may be correct (it actually mirrors the RAM and storage configurations of the current Galaxy S26 models), I wouldn't completely trust the source. After all, the leaker is yet to establish a reputation for being trustworthy.

What would you most like to see on the Galaxy S27 models?

6 Votes

Some competitors do worse

Google actually did worse with its Pixel 11 Pro RAM/storage solution. | Image by PhoneArena

The fact that Samsung may not introduce any RAM or storage upgrades over the Galaxy S26 series sounds bad at first glance. But some competitors have done worse with their latest flagships. Take Google, for example.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL come with 16GB RAM only in their 512GB and 1TB variants, while the "base" Pixel 11 offers 12GB RAM in both its 256GB and 512GB options.

Why is this bad? Because last year, the Google Pixel 10 Pro models actually offered 16GB RAM on all storage variants. Yes, this includes the 128GB version.

Bottom line: Samsung may not be giving us upgrades, but let's hope it doesn't offer us downgrades like Google did.

Crisis avoided?

This graph shows prices have gone up in Q1 2026. | Image by Counterpoint Research

It's no wonder that Samsung may have decided not to bump RAM to 16GB on all of its models next year. We're still in the midst of a RAMpocalypse that has caused unprecedented price increases across various key components, including memory chips.

While we can't know for sure, it seems to me that Samsung might stick to the same RAM/storage configurations for its next flagships in an attempt to avoid a huge price hike on its next-gen models.

A necessary sacrifice

Will it be better if Samsung pairs all of its Galaxy S27 flagships with 16GB RAM? Of course it would. But to me, sacrifices have to be made to keep the asking price relatively palatable.

Let's face it: if the Galaxy S27 model starts at over $1,000 next year, the highest-tier Galaxy S27 Ultra could easily cost as much as the Galaxy Z Fold 8. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that a slab phone shouldn't cost as much as a foldable, regardless of the specs.

Read these Galaxy S27 news before you go:

$90

$210

$120 off (57%)

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.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Polina Kovalakova, a News and Affiliate Content Writer, has nurtured a passion for mobile technology since the era before smartphones. With a history of exploring a variety of devices, her insights into the mobile world are both broad and nuanced. Polina's non-partisan view extends to appreciating nearly every smartphone brand, a reflection of her open-minded approach to technology. Polina is equally passionate about uncovering the best online deals, tirelessly working to ensure her readers snag top-tier tech at unbeatable prices.

Read the latest from Polina Kovalakova