S27 Ultra vs S26 Ultra: What Changes and Should You Wait?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra went on sale in March 2026, and the Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected just a few months down the line. Rumours suggest that Samsung will hold an Unpacked event for the Galaxy S27 Ultra as early as January 2027, or perhaps February 2027 at the latest. If you're considering buying an Ultra phone right now, or own a previous-gen Ultra and are curious about upgrading, it boils down to this: are the rumoured improvements worth the wait?

Galaxy S26 Ultra specs shown are Samsung's official information. Everything about the Galaxy S27 Ultra comes from rumours, reports and regulatory filings and is not confirmed by Samsung. We've noted the source of rumours and reports and added dates where appropriate. Last checked: November 12, 2026. For the launch timing and the full leak history, see our S27 Ultra release date and price guide.

S27 Ultra vs S26 Ultra specs

The S27 Ultra will apparently ditch the 3x zoom, to many photographers’ dismay, but will keep the 5x and ultrawide, while also receiving changes to its main camera, front camera, battery and processor.

Main camera: a new sensor, same size

The biggest camera change on the S27 Ultra might be under the hood. Every Ultra since the S23 Ultra has used Samsung’s 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor as its main camera sensor, but Ice Universe says that will change with the S27 Ultra, which will use the ISOCELL HP6 sensor instead. Ice Universe has mentioned the sensor since January. In September, Ice Universe described it as a custom version of Samsung's ISOCELL HPC sensor. The HPC holds more light before pixels clip, which means better dynamic range (via Android Authority).

Ice Universe also says photos will be warmer-looking on the S27 Ultra than they are on the S26 Ultra, whose photos tend to be on the colder side. Other improvements, at least according to Ice Universe, will include better highlight retention in the main and 5x cameras (think less blown-out signs and street lights) and less noise in shadows and in night photos. That said, those last few improvements could be thanks to processing tweaks Samsung has implemented on the S27 Ultra and aren’t necessarily hardware-related.

What isn’t changing is the sensor size, as Ice Universe said in September that the HP6 keeps the 1/1.3-inch size Samsung has used for years. Rumours of a larger 1/1.12-inch sensor with LOFIC, which helps with highlights, were never tied to the S27 Ultra in particular. That said, the S26 Ultra this year did make a nice bump in light intake thanks to its f/1.4 main camera lens, which according to Samsung allows for 47% more light to come through the lens than it did on the S25 Ultra. For now, we don’t know if the S27 Ultra will make a similar aperture change.

Losing the 3x: what changes between 2x and 4x

Samsung reportedly plans to ditch the 10MP 3x telephoto camera for cost-saving reasons, meaning the S27 Ultra will feature crop-based 2x, 3x and 4x zoom options using its 200MP primary camera (via Android Authority and 9to5Google). ETNews reported in August that Samsung told its camera suppliers all four S27 models will have three rear cameras. Ice Universe first made the claim in April and repeated it in September.

Before you write off the S27 Ultra’s 3x zoom option, it’s worth noting that the S26 Ultra’s 3x camera sports a diminutive 1/3.94-inch sensor and an f/2.4 lens, and it is the weakest camera on the phone. Theoretically, a 3x crop from a 1/1.3-inch main sensor should net you a sensor that’s roughly a ninth of the size (around 8 square millimetres), which is pretty much the same size as the S26 Ultra’s 3x camera sensor. So we could potentially be looking at similar image quality (from a slightly larger sensor area, in fact), albeit through a potentially brighter lens, and around 22MP (before downscaling). The exception is Portrait mode.

Samsung currently uses the S26 Ultra’s 3x camera for its 3x Portrait mode option, whereas the S27 Ultra’s 3x Portrait mode option will likely have to make do with a crop and put more faith in computational photography. How that turns out remains to be seen, but if you regularly take Portrait shots using the 3x option, it might be worth comparing images taken using the S26 Ultra’s 3x camera against those snapped using a 2x crop from the main camera to see which you prefer. Our S26 Ultra zoom guide explains how each zoom step is made.

5x, 10x and beyond: unchanged hardware

In September, Ice Universe said the 5x stays the same, with a 50MP 1/2.52-inch sensor and an f/2.9 lens. Ice Universe also called the late-August rumour of a 4x camera “100% false”.

Any differences in zoom images beyond 5x, when both devices digitally crop in to around 12MP for 10x shots, should therefore boil down to computational photography tweaks and Ice Universe’s mention of improved highlight management could come in handy when shooting distant cityscapes or concerts. No leaks have mentioned any changes to the 100x Space Zoom feature.

Selfie camera and video

GalaxyClub and WinFuture say the S27 Ultra gets a 16MP front camera, up from 12MP. Both phones have autofocus on the front, so the gain is resolution. That helps when you crop a group selfie or a vlog frame.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 can record 8K60 video, but tipster WalleGalaxy claims the Galaxy S27 Ultra will still max out at 8K30 and 4K120 video (though Samsung may implement updated versions of its Log and APV video formats, which Android Authority reports could offer better dynamic range). Since the Galaxy S26 Ultra can already shoot 4K120 video with all of its cameras and save videos in APV, that would mean video capabilities will see only a minor bump unless we do indeed get 8K60 recording.

Battery, design and display

Battery life is the most solid upgrade, because it’s in a filing: China’s 3C certification lists the S27 Ultra’s battery at 5,534mAh rated, which Samsung would probably advertise as about 5,700mAh, which is around 14% bigger than the 5,000mAh cell we’ve been getting since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Charging speeds apparently remain at 60W.

Otherwise it’s business as usual. According to CAD renders posted by OnLeaks, the Galaxy S27 Ultra will measure 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm, so basically identical to its predecessor, and Ice Universe says it’ll weigh around 218g (via GSMArena), just 4g more. The S Pen will remain and while there’s no change to the front, there’s a new horizontal camera bar on the back (positioned higher up, so existing Galaxy S26 Ultra cases won’t fit) instead of individual cameras sticking out. Rumours also suggest an improved Privacy Display, which should retain more brightness when enabled, which is handy if you’re using it to check exposures when shooting outside. All in all, it’s a subtle update, though that bigger battery could come in handy if you’re out shooting all day.

Price: $1,399.99 now vs $1,499 later

The S26 Ultra initially launched at $1,299.99, and was subsequently increased to $1,399.99 on October 1, 2026. Tipster @phonefuturist’s recently updated price list puts the S27 Ultra at $1,499 (amended on October 14 from $1,399, via 9to5Google), though Korean media outlets have only reported that it’ll cost more than its predecessor. There aren’t any rumoured UK/EU prices just yet.

If accurate, that’d be a ~$100 difference between the two at sticker price, but we can generally expect Samsung/carriers to slash prices on the previous-gen Ultra once the next model launches.

Upgrading from an S25, S24 or S23 Ultra

Those upgrading from an S23 or S24 Ultra will probably be pleased by the improvements in the S27 Ultra. Even the move to a 50MP ultrawide would be a noticeable difference (and the S26 Ultra already offers that, just without the larger battery). On the other hand, if you're coming from an S25 Ultra, it's hard to imagine the camera changes being enough of an improvement to merit an upgrade, unless battery life is a concern or the image processing in the S27 Ultra pans out to be markedly better (we'll know more once reviews are out).

Should you wait for the S27 Ultra or buy the S26 Ultra?

• If your phone isn't falling apart and you're interested in seeing what the new main camera sensor is like (along with warmer colours), wait for the S27 Ultra and enjoy the best battery life. It's only a few months away.
• If you're using the 3x camera a lot (portraits, food shots, close-ups of small objects, etc.), get the S26 Ultra because it's likely the last Ultra to feature a quad-camera setup.
• If you find the S26 Ultra discounted, it's a good buy. You get an f/1.4 main camera and the same 50MP ultrawide and 5x periscope the S27 Ultra is expected to keep, for less than the leaked $1,499.
• Look at the Galaxy S27 Pro if you want the new main camera in a smaller phone, keep a 3x lens and don't need the S Pen or the 5x.

Of course, whichever phone you go for, bear in mind that most of what we know about the S27 at this point is rumour and speculation. We'll update this article once Samsung has made the phone official and hands-on reviews start filtering in.

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