With all major flagship launches done for the year, Samsung is likely turning its attention to its next big release in early 2027: the Galaxy S27 series. So far, rumors have centered on the Galaxy S27’s camera and battery specs. A new leak now offers our first glimpse at a potential redesign of the phone’s back, featuring a new camera layout.
Starting with the 2020 Galaxy S20 family, Samsung has maintained a vertical camera layout on its flagship phones. With the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra though, the company will take inspiration from its closest rival, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, and introduce a horizontal camera island.
Based on renders shared by leaker Sonny Dickson, known for his accurate leaks, the Galaxy S27 Ultra will have a horizontal camera island at the top, featuring two separate camera rings and one elongated module that likely houses the LED flash and another camera.
The design clearly seems to be inspired by the iPhone 17 Pro’s redesigned rear camera island. On the bright side, the redesign suggests Samsung will integrate magnets into the back of the phone to support native Qi2 wireless charging.
From the renders shared by Dickson, it’s difficult to ascertain if the Galaxy S27 Ultra will still feature an S Pen slot. But given that it’s a staple feature of Samsung’s flagship phone, the company may not do away with it.
More free space for larger camera sensors?
Samsung has not revamped the rear design of its flagship Galaxy S lineup in over half a decade now. So, this redesign would be a welcome change, though I am not sure if Samsung lovers will like the potential resemblance to the iPhone’s design.
More importantly, it should free up more internal space to accommodate larger camera sensors, thereby helping improve overall image quality. Some leaks indicate Samsung will finally ditch the small 10MP 3x telephoto camera on the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year, which should further free up internal space.
The leaker also says that Samsung will offer the Galaxy S27 Ultra in two different sizes, likely hinting at the smaller Pro model.
