This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The Galaxy S27 Pro shouldn't be designed around a price target. | Image by PhoneArena
I am not made of money, nor do I wish for flagships to be reserved exclusively for the ultra-wealthy. I do, however, have firsthand experience watching great ideas suffocate under the weight of unrealistic expectations. And that's precisely why the Galaxy S27 Pro should aspire to be anything but budget-friendly.
A small flagship is not the same as an affordable flagship
The Galaxy S27 Pro needs to stand out from the rest of the lineup. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung is reportedly working on a fourth Galaxy S series model to sit just below the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
While details are still being ironed out, we are looking at a 6.4-inch model that will essentially be an Ultra without the S Pen. Samsung must prioritize making a powerful compact model instead of a cheap Galaxy S27 Ultra knockoff.
Unapologetic compact flagship
While the Galaxy S27 Ultra will remain the star of the show, the Galaxy S27 Pro doesn't have to live in its shadow. This aspiring flagship needs to give buyers a real reason to pick it up.
Too often, manufacturers try to solve the small phone problem by cutting too many corners, resulting in a device that loses all premium appeal.
The target audience of compact flagship lovers should not feel that the S27 Pro is a step down from the S27 Ultra. Manufacturers frequently torpedo their own products to upsell customers to the absolute highest-end option. Shockingly, making a product intentionally worse doesn't tend to win over fans.
Recommended For You
What would the perfect Galaxy S27 Pro be like?
Don't design around cost cuts
The iPhone mini, iPhone Air, Galaxy S25 Edge, and various other almost-flagships all suffer from the same identity crisis: manufacturers make too many sacrifices.
Instead of settling on a unique selling point and pricing the phone based on product costs, manufacturers pick a price point first and build around it.
Far too often, that target price is too low to deliver a product that appeals to affluent buyers who want a smaller phone for comfort, not because they are pinching pennies.
The Galaxy S27 Pro can be different
The S27 Pro has one job: be a smaller Galaxy S27 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
The $1,300 Galaxy S26 Ultra is massive and expensive. Moreover, the iconic S Pen has no real utility for the average user.
On the flip side, the $1,100 Galaxy S26 Plus doesn't feel premium enough due to second-rate camera specs and slower charging.
Samsung is apparently already veering away from its original vision for the Galaxy S27 Pro due to cost constraints. That would be a fatal mistake. Cut too many corners, and the Pro becomes a glorified Plus.
The Pro's price doesn't need to sit in the middle of the Ultra and Plus. It could be $50 or $70 cheaper than the Ultra while keeping the core specs intact. It should be a no-compromise phone. While that might put it out of reach for some, that's okay — a true high-end phone isn't meant for everyone anyway.
Get Visible as low as $20/mo for 1 year. Limited time offer with code: FRESHSTART
$20
/mo
$25
$5 off (20%)
Offer Ends 6.1.2026 at 11.59pm ET. New members get $5/mo off the $25/mg Visible plan, $35/mo Visible+ plan, or $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 12 months. Promo code FRESHSTART required at checkout.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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: