Galaxy S27 Ultra Could Get Its Biggest Camera Redesign in Years

Samsung may be ready to change the look of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, but don't expect another Pixel-style camera bar. A new leak from Ice Universe points to a very different rear design, with three large cameras placed inside one wide camera island. It would be a big change from the Galaxy S26 Ultra, although we are still far from launch.

And to be honest, I think Samsung needs something new.

For months, leaks claimed Samsung was testing a horizontal camera bar for the Galaxy S27 series. Patent drawings even showed cameras placed side by side, which made the idea look more believable.

Here's the thing, though. Ice Universe now says the Galaxy S27 Ultra won't use that design. Instead, his latest sketch shows three cameras inside a large vertical island near the top-left corner. The lenses sit next to each other in a triangle, while the flash appears outside the main camera area.

It looks a little like the camera layout Apple uses on the iPhone Pro models, but with Samsung's own take on it. That may disappoint anyone hoping for the cleaner horizontal design. Still, I think this makes more sense than Samsung simply copying the Pixel camera bar.

The new design also fits another Galaxy S27 Ultra rumor. Samsung may drop the separate 3x telephoto camera, leaving the phone with three main rear cameras.

That would be a major change. Samsung Ultra phones have used four rear cameras for years, with separate lenses for short and long zoom. But losing one camera doesn't always mean losing a feature.

Samsung could use a better main sensor and its 5x periscope camera to cover the missing zoom range. We have already seen phones use sensor cropping to create good 2x or 3x shots without adding another lens.

For now, though, that part remains a leak.

There is another reason to be careful here. A report from July claimed Samsung was testing several Galaxy S27 Ultra designs, and none used the horizontal camera bar that appeared in earlier renders. Cost and easier production were said to be part of Samsung's decision.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra isn't expected until early 2027, so Samsung still has time to change the final design.

Personally, I hope the new camera island is real. Samsung's recent Ultra phones have looked good, but the design has become very familiar. Moving the cameras around won't make the S27 Ultra a better phone, of course.

But after several years of small changes, I wouldn't mind being able to tell a new Galaxy Ultra apart from the old one without looking twice.