Samsung's caste system is simple. You've got it all: a bunch of A-series, M-series and F-series phones for the majority of users; the rugged XCover series for extra durability and then, it's flagship time.
Here, the road forks. On the left side, there's the Galaxy Z series and its foldable realm. On the right, it's the Galaxy S kingdom.
The Galaxy S models are extremely popular, but Samsung can't nail it when it comes to coming up with a fourth model.
The vanilla Galaxy S phone is usually accompanied by a Galaxy S Plus variant and the high-end, maxed-out Galaxy S Ultra.
Last year, Samsung tried to spice things up with the Galaxy S25 Edge, an ultra-thin smartphone with a shockingly high price. Things, as some of you remember, didn't go as planned and the wasp-waisted Edge model was scrapped.
Now, Samsung is preparing—at least the rumors claim so—the Galaxy S27 Pro. But the way things are developing—again, in regard to rumors—I think Samsung is about to miss a big opportunity.
Different chipsets?
The Galaxy S27 Pro in an unofficial render. | Image by Android Headlines
The latest rumor has it that the Pro and Ultra models will have a different chipset under the hood. The Ultra might go for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (for Galaxy), while the Pro might utilize the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (for Galaxy).
Recommended For You
I know, these monikers have the appeal of a three-decker toadstool sandwich with arsenic gravy, but that's the fad these days.
The difference between them is that the Extreme variant will be, well, extremely fast and powerful. Some might say such silicon is deserving to be in a Pro-titled handset… and they'd be right. Imagine the iPhone 20 Pro arriving with a slower, less capable chipset than the iPhone 20 Pro Max. What a disgrace.
Yet, Samsung is about to do precisely that.
It should be a carbon copy of Ultra, just smaller
There, I said it: the Galaxy S27 Pro should be a smaller, more compact Galaxy S27 Ultra and nothing else. The only differences between the two models should be in terms of battery and display size, obviously.
The same cameras, the same chips, the same cool features (Privacy Display, for example), the same charging speeds… the same everything.
There are people who don't mind the Ultra's $1,400 price but can't stand (or can't use) its huge, nearly 7-inch screen (some people have small hands).
That's why the Galaxy S27 Pro should be precisely that: a carbon copy of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, just smaller.
Sure, even with the lower-grade Snapdragon chipset, the Galaxy S27 Pro would still be fast and reliable. But then comes the question: if the Pro isn't as capable as the Ultra, where does that leave the vanilla Galaxy S27?
You see, Samsung is about to bruise its baseline phone's reputation.
The Pro's advantage: it'll be cheaper
The S27 Ultra and S27 Pro are expected to look very similar to each other. | Image by TheGalox_ on X
If the RAMpocalypse phenomenon carries on in 2027—and there are no indications that it'll end before 2028 at best—the Galaxy S27 Ultra could be very, very expensive.
The Galaxy S27 Pro will be there to save the day (and the sales numbers) for Samsung; or at least that's what I suspect Samsung executives are hoping to achieve.
If they manage to market it as the cheaper-but-still-fancy-and-capable take on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, I think they'll succeed.
But if the S27 Pro arrives with an inferior chipset, a degraded camera and too many corners that've been cut to save expenses… well, will you accept it? Will you buy it?
Apple's mini (and Plus) struggles
Remember the iPhone 13 mini? Or the iPhone 12 mini? Yeah, both looked good on paper, but neither was a hit. In fact, Apple ditched the mini idea and moved on to larger, but certainly not greener pastures. The large-sized iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16 Plus weren't a hit, either. That's why we never got the iPhone 17 Plus and we most likely won't get an iPhone 18 Plus.
Apple, in contrast to Samsung, has (kind of) succeeded with the ultra-thin phone project and in 2027, we'll see the iPhone Duo 2.
But will we get to see a second variant of the Galaxy S Pro newcomer? I think if it's a clone of the Galaxy S27 Ultra—just smaller (and most importantly, cheaper)—it would have better chances.
Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.
Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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: