GoKawiilBrady Snyder / Android Authority
TL;DR The Galaxy S27 Ultra will reportedly drop the 3x camera and switch to a triple rear camera system.
This comes after years of Samsung’s Ultra phones offering a quad camera setup.
This 3x camera is effectively obsolete, but it’s still handy for portraits and macro photography.
Samsung’s Galaxy S Ultra phones have offered four rear cameras since 2021’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra also following this trend. Unfortunately, two sources have now claimed that Samsung could drop one camera next year.
Veteran tipster Ice Universe refuted an X user’s post claiming that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will have a second rear telephoto camera. Instead, the leaker says the upcoming phone only has a 50MP 5x telephoto shooter.
Korean outlet ET News corroborated this claim by reporting that the Galaxy S27 Ultra would indeed drop the 3x camera, citing industry sources. The outlet specifically says the phone will pack a 200MP main camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto camera, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. It adds that the Galaxy S27 Pro will offer the same main and ultrawide shooters, but will swap the 50MP 5x camera for a 12MP 3x shooter.
“The camera image quality has reached a technical saturation point,” a supply chain official was quoted as saying about the decision to drop the 3x camera. “It appears this decision was made to cut costs due to severe pressure on manufacturing expenses.”
Would you be sad if the Galaxy S27 Ultra dropped the 3x camera? 12 votes Yes, I enjoyed using it 33 % No, I prefer the 5x camera 17 % I didn't use it much, but wish Samsung upgraded it 50 %
This would nevertheless be a disappointing turn of events for the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Samsung. The 10MP 3x camera is absolutely ancient at this point, owing to the low-resolution sensor. Furthermore, the 200MP main shooter can capture a comparable level of detail at a 3x crop. However, the 3x camera’s focal length makes it more ideal for portrait photos than the 5x camera. Furthermore, the 3x shooter is handy for macro photos due to its low minimum focusing distance.
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