Samsung Electronics is expected to unveil the Galaxy S27 Ultra early next year, and newly leaked renders suggest the rear camera design will undergo a dramatic transformation. The iconic vertical camera array that has become synonymous with the Galaxy lineup may be replaced by a massive horizontal “camera island” spanning the upper rear panel.
Renowned IT tipster Ice Universe posted renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra on X (formerly Twitter) on the 24th (local time), stating that “the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be nearly identical in overall size and screen size to its predecessor, the Galaxy S26 Ultra.” Tech media outlet PhoneArena reported on the leak.
The most striking change in the leaked renders is the rear camera design. The cameras are arranged horizontally across the upper rear of the device. Two large cameras sit vertically on the left side, while another camera and flash are positioned on the right. This marks a significant departure from the “waterdrop camera” design used in previous Galaxy S series models, where each camera lens protruded independently.
Ice Universe explained that “the S Pen and speaker positions will also remain on the left side,” adding that “aside from the newly designed camera layout, the overall design will look nearly identical.” Display and frame elements are expected to maintain a similar form factor to the previous generation.
Another IT tipster, Ice Bingzhou, also recently posted an image believed to show the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s rear camera design on his X account, captioning it “I can’t say anything.” In a follow-up post, he addressed Lee Il-hwan, Vice President and Head of the Design Team at Samsung Electronics’ MX (Mobile eXperience) Division, claiming that “it’s already too late to change the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s design” and that the company “may need to brace for the harshest criticism in Galaxy history.”
Horizontal camera designs have been gaining traction in the smartphone market. Google has applied a horizontal camera bar across its Pixel series, and Apple significantly widened the camera area across the upper rear panel with the iPhone 17 Pro series. Evidence has also emerged that Samsung Electronics has been exploring horizontal camera modules. Overseas tech outlet SamMobile recently reported that Samsung’s patent filings included smartphone drawings featuring a camera module spanning the upper rear panel.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that Samsung Electronics may launch the Galaxy S27 Ultra in two size variants. Images of four Galaxy S27 series models shared by Ice Universe show that two of them adopt the new camera bar design. However, he only mentioned the Galaxy S27 Pro, Galaxy S27, and Galaxy S27 Plus, without separately addressing a second Galaxy S27 Ultra model.
The leaked images also reveal that on the three non-Ultra models, the bottom speaker grille has moved to the right of the USB-C port — a change from the previous generation. PhoneArena noted that this could be another clue suggesting a new “Galaxy S27 Pro” model may be added to the lineup in place of the existing Ultra variant.
That said, these images are not official renders released by Samsung Electronics, so it is premature to conclude they represent the final Galaxy S27 Ultra design. If Samsung Electronics does adopt a horizontal camera island, it would signal a substantial shift in the Galaxy’s design identity, which has been built around the vertical camera array.