For those still holding out hope that recently leaked Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra renders were exaggerated, reliable leaker Steve H.McFly, AKA @OnLeaks, has bad news.
Get used to it
Fresh Galaxy S27 Ultra renders. | Image by Android Headlines
Following a barrage of recent leaks, CAD-based renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultrahave emerged, confirming that Samsung is adopting an Apple iPhone 17 Pro-style camera plateau.
This is more than a redesign. The dedicated 3x telephoto camera is gone, and the 5x unit is allegedly smaller than the current 1/2.52-inch sensor.
The device purportedly measures 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm, making it ever so slightly larger than the 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm Galaxy S26 Ultra.
With the camera bump, the thickness shoots up to 12.53 mm, an increase from 4.43mm to 4.56mm.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera bump is already a lot chunkier than the S25 Ultra's 2.4mm island, so even a fraction of a millimeter is going to sting.
@OnLeaks says the S Pen lives on for another year.
What will make you overlook the camera plateau?
The upside
The device retains the S Pen slot. | Image by Android Headlines
Reactions to the new look have been overwhelmingly negative, but the redesign could have some practical advantages.
The bigger camera island might mean improved camera hardware. It also leaves more room for internal components, paving the way for a bigger battery.
What the Galaxy S27 Ultra lacks in aesthetics, it might make up for in specs:
While the new design theoretically allows for better components, that might not be the main driver behind the change.
For starters, despite more available space, the telephoto module might shrink in size. Even if that isn't the case, the omission of the 3x camera will lead to a less versatile setup. Granted, the 200MP camera will be able to crop in to fill in the gap, but that won't be the same as having a native telephoto lens.
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My colleague Peter Kostadinov will be happy to see it go though as he didn't find any utility in the small sensor that introduced copious amounts of color noise and artifacts.
However, Samsung isn't ditching the 3x camera out of practicality concerns. It's axing it to cut down on costs. Just what you hope a conglomerate would do in testing times.
While the S27 Ultra certainly looks unsettling right now, the design will likely grow on people. If the iPhone 17 Pro's gaudy cosmic orange variant can uplift sales, anything is possible.
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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.
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