Samsung may be planning to standardize the zoom camera across the Galaxy S27, S27+, and S27 Pro, while keeping the Ultra on a separate telephoto setup.
According to tipster @phonefuturist, the Galaxy S27 and S27+ are being tested with the same 3x telephoto system as the Galaxy S27 Pro. The claim lines up with an earlier ETNews report that pointed to a 12MP 3x telephoto camera for the Pro, although the latest leak does not confirm whether it is referring to that exact sensor.
If accurate, Samsung could be giving all three non-Ultra models the same zoom hardware, while reserving a more capable telephoto camera for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
The regular Galaxy S27 models could finally get a better zoom camera
The Galaxy S26 and S26+ currently use a relatively small 10MP 1/3.94-inch sensor for their 3x telephoto cameras, hardware that has changed very little over the past few generations. ETNews previously reported that the Galaxy S27 Pro could move to a newer 12MP 3x telephoto camera. If the latest leak is referring to that same system, the Galaxy S27 and S27+ could finally receive an overdue zoom camera upgrade as well.
The resolution increase alone would be fairly modest, and we still do not know the sensor size, lens, or other hardware details. A larger or newer sensor, however, could improve detail and low-light performance, two areas where the tiny telephoto cameras on Samsung’s regular Galaxy S models have plenty of room to improve.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to remain in a different league. Samsung is reportedly testing a much larger 50MP 1/1.9-inch 4x telephoto sensor for the Ultra, although it may retain its existing 5x approach if the new hardware does not provide enough of an advantage to justify the added cost.
The Galaxy S27 may have more upgrades under the hood
The shared telephoto camera could be part of a broader hardware upgrade for the Galaxy S27. Previous leaks suggest Samsung is also testing a new Sony sensor for the main camera and a larger 4,900mAh battery, even though leaked renders point to a design that looks almost unchanged from the Galaxy S26.
There is one confusing part of @phonefuturist’s claim worth pointing out. The tipster says the S27 and S27+ could use the Pro’s 3x telephoto while “sharing their main and ultrawide camera hardware with the Ultra.” Taken literally, that would mean the regular S27 models also inherit the Ultra’s main and ultrawide cameras. Previous reports have instead suggested the S27 Pro will share those cameras with the S27 Ultra, so that is likely what the tipster intended to say.
The latest telephoto claim has not been independently verified either. Until more reliable sources back it up, it is worth taking the idea of a shared 3x camera across the S27, S27+, and S27 Pro with a grain of salt.