- Reports suggest the Galaxy S27 Ultra could feature three rear cameras instead of four.
- The long-running 3x telephoto lens may be dropped after appearing on Ultra models since 2021.
- Industry sources reportedly cite rising manufacturing costs and limited image-quality gains.
Samsung's Galaxy S27 Ultra could arrive with one fewer rear camera, marking what would be the biggest change to its flagship camera system since the Galaxy S21 Ultra introduced a four-camera setup in 2021.
According to multiple reports, including claims from veteran tipster Ice Universe and Korean publication ET News, Samsung is expected to remove the dedicated 3x telephoto camera from next year's flagship. If the reports prove accurate, the Galaxy S27 Ultra would instead feature a 200MP main camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto lens and a 50MP ultra-wide camera.
Samsung has not confirmed the reported specifications, so the details remain speculative.
Why Samsung could make the change
Industry sources, as quoted in reports, suggest the decision is being driven by a combination of rising manufacturing costs and diminishing returns from the existing 10MP 3x telephoto camera, which has remained largely unchanged for several generations.
One supply-chain official reportedly said smartphone camera technology has reached a "technical saturation point", making further hardware upgrades less meaningful while production costs continue to rise.
The move could divide opinion among Galaxy users. Supporters argue the 200MP main sensor is already capable of producing detailed cropped images around 3x zoom, reducing the need for a separate telephoto camera. Critics, however, point out that a dedicated 3x lens remains useful for portrait photography and close-up shots because of its focal length and shorter focusing distance.
Some industry watchers had expected Samsung to upgrade the 3x camera with a higher-resolution sensor instead of removing it altogether, allowing better image quality across intermediate zoom levels.
The reports also suggest Samsung's Galaxy S27 Pro could receive a different camera setup. Rather than adopting the Ultra's proposed three-camera system, it is expected to pair the 200MP main and 50MP ultra-wide cameras with a 12MP 3x telephoto lens.
With the Galaxy S27 series still many months away, the reported specifications remain based on industry sources and leaks. However, the claims from multiple sources suggest Samsung could be preparing one of the most significant camera redesigns in the Ultra lineup since the series adopted its current four-camera configuration.
