TL; DR
- Samsung is rumored to remove the dedicated 3X telephoto camera on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, based on a leak from Ice Universe.
- The phone may rely on digital crop from the 200 MP main camera instead of a separate optical zoom lens.
- This follows the earlier reduction in sensor size on the S26 Ultra and has already raised concerns around zoom quality.
A new leak from Ice Universe suggests Samsung is planning a noticeable change in the camera setup on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. According to the tipster, the dedicated 3X telephoto camera is being removed entirely. It is not being upgraded or changed. It is just gone.
This comes after what Samsung already did with the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier this year. That phone reduced the size of its 3X telephoto sensor to an effective 1/3.94-inch 10 MP ISOCELL 3LD with an f/2.4 aperture. Older Ultra models used a slightly larger 1/3.52-inch sensor.
For the S27 Ultra, Samsung will likely manage 3X zoom using digital crop from the 200 MP main sensor instead of using a separate telephoto lens. This could technically work in good lighting, but it will still behave differently from a dedicated optical zoom lens which gives more depth and compression.
The Competition Is Far Ahead
For comparison, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra uses a 200 MP 1/1.28-inch sensor (larger than S26 Ultra’s main camera sensor) for its 3X telephoto with an f/2.2 aperture and a 70 mm focal length, along with a minimum focus distance of 15 cm. It also includes a 200 MP main camera and a separate 50 MP 10X telephoto.
A Major Redesign Could Also Be Happening
This rumored change has already started reactions from users who were expecting better zoom performance from Samsung’s Ultra lineup. There are also earlier hints that Samsung is working on a broader redesign for the S27 Ultra, which could change how the camera system is arranged.
This is still an early leak, and nothing is confirmed yet. The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected in early 2027, so things can still change. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
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