Galaxy S27 Ultra looks like an iPhone 17 Pro Max copy, and I'm disgusted
The new and radical Galaxy S27 Ultra design has been all over the internet for the past couple of days in the form of leaks, rumors, CAD renders, and dummy case molds.
The new and radical Galaxy S27 Ultra design has been all over the internet for the past couple of days in the form of leaks, rumors, CAD renders, and dummy case molds. And while many praise Samsung for the bold change we've been waiting years for, frankly, I'm disgusted. Because to me, this new design looks like a cheap copy of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. And that's bad on so many levels.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra's "radical" design is out in the open
The sketch that started it all. | Image by IceUniverse
It all started with a simple teaser by none other than IceUniverse. The sketch showed the upper part of a smartphone with a big camera plateau and three distinct elements in it: two circular camera rings and a strange vertical pill-shaped cutout next to them.
People started to make CAD renders out of the sketch, and the internet became flooded with Galaxy S27 Ultra renders. At the time, I thought this couldn't be real. This sketch looked to me like a Chinese phone brand trying to copy Apple. But then things got serious.
Case dummies of the Galaxy S27 Ultra. | Images by @WalleGalaxy
Galaxy S27 Ultra case dummies started to show up, with actual cases on them, too. Judging by the sources, the quality of those dummies, and the cases, I now think the rumor might be true. This could be the new Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Recommended For You
Do you like the new Galaxy S27 Ultra design?
Galaxy S27 Ultra looks like a cheap iPhone clone
The iPhone 17 Pro Max next to the Galaxy S27 Ultra render. | Image by @TheGalox_
I know I might sound radical, but the first thing that came to mind when I saw the Galaxy S27 Ultra renders was the Honor 600 Pro. Apparently, I'm not alone in this comparison, as our good friends and colleagues at Android Headlines also made the connection.
From left to right: Galaxy S27 Ultra, Honor 600 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max. | Image by Composite image
Now, let's take a step back and recall what reaction the Honor 600 evoked when it first launched. That's right. People called it an iPhone 17 Pro Max copycat.
I'm sure many people would disagree and try to find minor differences, but to me, it looks like Samsung saw the success of the iPhone's camera "plateau" and got "inspired."
That makes me feel equal parts angry and disappointed.
Smartphones start to look like stormtroopers to me. | Image by PixaBay
I was mad at Samsung for sticking with pretty much the same Galaxy S Ultra design for the past couple of generations, but this is worse. Six years ago, I wrote a piece called "Why do all smartphones look the same?" I was foolish enough to complain about the overall form factor and how phones looked almost indistinguishable from the front.
Phones were radically different back in the day. | Image by Composite image
Little did I know Samsung was planning to take this to the next level. Phones now look similar from the front AND the back.
We have been waiting for a fresh Galaxy S Ultra for years. And now we're getting this? Samsung had the rare opportunity to get creative and make something original and different. Instead, the company opted for the camera plateau, possibly because it was supposed to be trendy — even though most people were skeptical of the iPhone 17 Pro models when they first launched, especially design-wise.
I'm not buying the Galaxy S27 Ultra, and most people won't either
My favorite Ultra of them all. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung chose the worst time possible for this kind of stunt. The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to start at $1,499, thanks to all the chip shenanigans around the AI craze. This controversial redesign has the potential to turn people away from the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
In light of these new renders, I think I quite like the clean look of the floating cameras on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. I know design is subjective, but I'd rather get transparent backs and flush cameras, RedMagic-style, than this cheap-looking iPhone clone.
What do you think about this? Do you like the radical design of the Galaxy S27 Ultra?
Trade in your old phone for cash at ecoATM!
Recycle your used phone and get instant cash. Find out how at ecoATM!
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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: