Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra leak confirms horizontal camera bar in boldest redesign in years

Samsung is replacing the Galaxy Ultra's signature vertical camera column with a wide horizontal bar — the most significant design overhaul since the Ultra line launched. CAD renders shared by AndroidHeadlines CAD renders, produced by prolific leaker OnLeaks, confirm the new layout in detail. The change puts the S27 Ultra on a collision course with the iPhone 17 Pro Max's visual identity, and it's already dividing opinion.

The look

The new rear camera platform runs across the top of the phone, housing three lenses on a single raised block: a main sensor (tipped as Samsung's ISOCELL HIP6 at 1/1.3″), a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 5x telephoto. Gone is the redundant 10MP 3x telephoto that appeared on previous Ultra models — Samsung is streamlining the stack. The S Pen slot remains at the bottom of the frame, keeping the one feature that genuinely separates the Ultra from every other Android flagship.

Dimensions are almost unchanged from the S26 Ultra: 163.76 × 78.25 × 7.97mm for the body, with the camera bump pushing total depth to 12.53mm. The 6.9-inch centred-hole display carries over too.

The horizontal platform isn't purely aesthetic. The wider footprint allows larger sensors, better thermal management, and — new for the Ultra — built-in Qi2 magnetic wireless charging alongside 60W wired.

The specs

Inside, SamMobile dimensions & charging corroborate a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip globally for the Ultra — no Exynos variant here. The S27 and S27+ are a different story, with Exynos 2700 handling those models in some regions. Battery capacity jumps to an estimated 5,700mAh using Silicon-Carbon chemistry, roughly 400mAh more than the S26 Ultra.

Price and availability

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S27 line in the week of February 22, 2027, with pre-orders opening around mid-March. US pricing is pegged at approximately $1,399 — $100 more than the S26 Ultra's launch price — driven largely by the ongoing global memory shortage pushing component costs up. UK buyers should expect £1,300 or above, available through Amazon UK, Currys, and major carriers including Vodafone and O2.

The horizontal camera bar is a genuine gamble. Analyst Ice Universe warned it could trigger the "most intense wave" of backlash Samsung has faced in years. Whether that reaction materialises depends on how the final device performs — not just how it looks next to an iPhone.