Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra could lose a camera due to rising costs
Plus, a new model could be coming
📅 Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra could ditch a camera when it arrives next year
📷 The 10MP 3x telephoto lens is set to be cut due to rising costs
🤔 A new 12MP 3x telephoto could come to the Galaxy S27 Pro instead
📈 It’s being done to offset rising costs in component pricing that could make the phone more expensive than the S26 Ultra
Samsung could be set to ditch a camera on the Galaxy S27 Ultra due to rising costs.
That’s according to a new report from ETNews in South Korea (machine translated into English), which states that “Samsung Electronics will equip all models of the Galaxy S27 series, scheduled for release next year, with three rear cameras. The Ultra model, which previously featured four cameras, will see its camera count reduced by one.”
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The Galaxy S27 Ultra is set to ditch the 10MP 3x telephoto zoom lens, but retain the 50MP 5x periscope lens, and a new Galaxy S27 Pro will feature a 12MP 3x telephoto zoom.
The S27 Pro is also set to have a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide and a 12MP 3x telephoto lens, while the S27 Ultra is set for a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP “5x zoom folded camera”, presumably meaning a periscope lens.
The reason cited is that it’s a “strategic response to the surge in semiconductor and component prices” and an attempt to “stabilize the pricing of the Galaxy S27 series by reducing the number of components in the best-selling Ultra model”.
The plan to cut costs in the camera department is designed as a way of offsetting the rising costs elsewhere to at least keep the price of the devices somewhat sensible against their current costs.
Previous reports have claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro will closely resemble the Ultra model, but with a smaller 6.47-inch OLED screen and no S Pen stylus.
Of all the lenses in Samsung’s camera setup, the 3x telephoto is perhaps the one that’s the longest in the tooth, especially with the advancements we’ve seen in virtual or digital zoom from cropping into the 200MP main sensor found on Ultra phones.
Of course, this is a rumor, and it simply cites “industry sources”, so do take it with a pinch of salt. However, leaker Ice Universe, who has been correct in predicting colors for recent Samsung devices, is echoing the report here – we won’t officially know until next year.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.