Rumors about a horizontal camera bar for the Galaxy S27 series have been making the rounds for months. Today, reliable leaker Ice Universe posted a cryptic sketch that might give us our first look at the Galaxy S27 Ultra's revamped module.
Don't quote Ice on it
Will the Galaxy S27 series embrace a new design? | Image by Ice Universe
The sketch shows a rear panel with an iPhone 17 Pro-esque camera bar. It houses two vertically stacked cameras on the right and an elongated island on the left, likely for a third camera and a flash unit.
Ice didn't explicitly name the device, but considering the tipster mostly leaks Samsung news, it very likely belongs to a forthcoming Galaxy phone.
Why should or shouldn't the Galaxy S27 Ultra adopt this design?
Horizontal camera bars are in
Patent sketches. | Image by SammyGuru
Horizontally stacked camera bars are the hallmark of Pixel phones. Even Apple joined in last year, though it kept the same stovetop camera placement as before.
Earlier this year, Lee Ji-young, VP of design for Samsung's Mobile eXperience unit, called the Galaxy S26's design "perfect," insisting that the vertically arranged cameras were a core brand identity.
However, it looks like the company is now ready to abandon that for what's in vogue. Many reports have hinted that the current design is on its way out, though not everyone agrees.
Recently, SammyGuru spotted a patent filing showing a horizontal module for a future device.
No matter the camera layout, the Galaxy S27 Ultra is going to be exciting because of:
There are only so many ways to place cameras on a phone. Samsung is hardly copying everyone. The 2019 Galaxy S10 also had a horizontal camera bar.
Besides, the current camera setup prevents Qi2 accessories from aligning properly. Many users also don't like how devices wobble on tables.
Headed to the S27 Ultra?
A Galaxy S26 Edge render. | Image by Android Headlines
If Samsung goes for the design, it might not roll it out across the entire lineup at once. The S27 Ultra could be a likely candidate. After all, that was also Apple's strategy with the iPhone 17 Pro.
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All Samsung phones have a vertical bar, so reserving the horizontal one for the S27 Ultra would make it stand out.
Alternatively, Samsung may play it safe and start with the standard model or maybe even the rumored Galaxy S27 Pro. The successor to the S25 Edge was expected to come with the design Ice has teased, but that device hasn't been revealed so far.
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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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