Obviously, I don't expect the Galaxy S27 quartet to see daylight for six or seven more months, but that's not stopping super-reliable publications like GalaxyClub over in the Netherlands from raising our blood pressure with very promising speculation of badly needed improvements over this year's Galaxy S26 trio.
The most impressive selfie camera since the Galaxy S22 Ultra?
Look, if you've used more than one smartphone for more than a few months in your life, you probably already know a high megapixel count doesn't always translate into the best real-world photography experience. At the same time, of course, there's only so much a handset maker can do with a low megapixel count, so it was certainly disappointing to see Samsung go down from a 40MP front-facing camera on the S22 Ultra back in 2022 to a 12MP selfie snapper on the Galaxy S23 Ultra the next year... even though the result was clearer self-portraits.
Remember when 40MP selfie cameras... and curved screens used to be a thing? | Image by PhoneArena
It became even harder to understand and excuse the company's decision to stick with a 12-megapixel sensor on the S24 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and S26 Ultra these last few years, but at long last, a major upgrade is now tipped in that department for 2027.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro are expected to go up to a 16MP front-facing camera, which obviously doesn't sound anywhere near as impressive as a 40-megapixel sensor, but could definitely improve what's already a solid selfie-taking experience on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
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How would you rate your current Galaxy S27 series excitement?
What about the Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus?
Unfortunately, there's no confirmation "yet" that the other two members of the S27 family will make the same leap from a 12 to a 16MP selfie camera, which in my experience, generally means they won't.
The base S27 could still keep the S26's 12MP front-facing camera unchanged. | Image by PhoneArena
That would certainly be a little sad to see for fans of high-end Samsung phones on tighter budgets, but then again, a larger number of differences between the more affordable and the more advanced Galaxy S27-series devices could open the door to a bigger gap in retail pricing.
In other words, today's report makes me hopeful that the "vanilla" S27 and the S27+ could be cheaper than their predecessors while the S27 Pro and S27 Ultra could bring more substantial upgrades over the S26 Ultra than previously believed. If that's not the textbook definition of "the best of both worlds", I don't know what is.
Two of the S27 Pro's and S27 Ultra's rear cameras are also pretty much etched in stone
Although it might feel a bit premature to know so many things for certain about a Galaxy S27 family undoubtedly set for a 2027 launch, there are already multiple credible reports (including this new one) calling for a 50MP telephoto lens and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor residing on the back of both the Pro and Ultra.
One of the S26 Ultra's four rear cameras is likely to go away next year. | Image by PhoneArena
Naturally, there will also be a primary rear-facing camera, and both the Galaxy S27 Ultra and S27 Pro are likely to use a towering 200MP sensor for most day-to-day photographic operations. But compared to its predecessor, the S27 Ultra is expected to get rid of a camera altogether and stick to a triple sensor system instead of a quad setup, which sounds like a surprising and potentially disappointing downgrade... unless, of course, the three remaining lenses get important improvements beyond their megapixel counts.
Samsung has proven many times in recent years that it's more than capable of making such subtle but crucial improvements happen, so at least for the time being, I think I'm going to maintain my optimism that the entire Galaxy S27 family will represent a notable upgrade over the S26 series. Who's with me?
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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