Samsung Galaxy S27 leaks are coming fast, and we've got a glimpse of a new design and disappointing performance hardware
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The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is coming in early 2027, and while we haven't heard a lot about the phone so far, it looks like the floodgates are starting to open. The latest leaks seem to reveal more details about the phone's design, as well as a possible performance change that could prove very disappointing for those of you hoping to pick up the new S27 Ultra.
We've already seen design leaks that showcase the Galaxy S27 Ultra's new look , swapping the vertical camera array for a horizontal camera bar — which is reminiscent of the "Raised Plateau" Apple debuted on iPhone 17 Pro Max . Now dummy units of that design have appeared online courtesy of Android Headline , letting us visualize that design as a real phone.
Dummy units are, of course, no substitute for the real thing. However they do give us an idea of what using these phones might be like.
Takeaways from the dummy units include changes to the camera, which includes removing the 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The telephoto does look quite small, but that's only because the S26 Ultra's telephoto had a deceptive design. So it's unclear what this means for the camera hardware.
The actual dimensions of the phone haven't really changed. The S27 Ultra dummy unit measures 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm (6.44 x 3.0 x 0.31 inches), compared to 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9mm on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Which means the size difference is barely distinguishable. So really, the main visual changes come in the form of the camera setup.
Android Headline also notes that the design includes a built-in S Pen, alongside magnets to facilitate full Qi2 wireless charging. I don't see the magnets on the dummy unit or the CAD renders they're based on, so take that particular rumor with a healthy dose of scepticism.
Those of you hoping for a super-powered S27 series may be disappointed, though. While we fully expect that the Ultra model will come with the newly-unveiled Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (or a custom "for Galaxy" variant), the same may not be true of the S27 Pro.
Notebookcheck recently uncovered listings for all four Galaxy S27 models in the import-export database NBD. It reveals that the S27 Pro may come with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 , the successor to the current Elite Gen 5 chipset in the S26 series. This chip is still being build on a 2nm process, with all the performance and efficiency benefits that affords, but it's not the absolute best chip Qualcomm will have on offer.
The Extreme Gen 6 chip is supposed to come with better computing, graphics and neural performance, as well as the ability to record videos in 8K resolution at 60 frames per second.
The regular Elite Gen 6 is limited to 30fps, and while the ability to record in 8K isn't going to appeal to everyone, it shows that the Extreme chip is the superior option. Certainly from a performance point of view, and that could be enough to push people away from the Pro model.
That said, a less impressive chip is likely cheaper, and means Samsung could be trying to avoid unnecessary costs that would need to be passed on to the consumer.
The listings also reveal that the international versions of the S27 and S27 Plus could run on the Exynos 2700 chipset, rather than a Snapdragon chip. Though Samsung has been doing that for years, and it's not really that surprising.
The same listings feature screen size too, with the S27, S27 Plus and S27 Ultra offering the same 6.3-, 6.7- and 6.9-inch displays as their predecessors. Meanwhile the Pro is set to offer a 6.5-inch display, and sit between the S27 and its plus-sized counterpart.
The Galaxy S27 series is expected to arrive in January, and we here at Tom's Guide will be watching for all the latest news and rumors to keep you up to date. Stay tuned for more.