Samsung’s next flagship is leaking early and loudly. CAD-based renders of the Galaxy S27 Ultra surfaced this week showing the phone’s most dramatic redesign in years, and alongside them came the first credible whispers of something Pinoy buyers will care about even more: a higher price tag.
The redesign: a camera plateau, not individual lenses
The renders, shared by reliable leakster OnLeaks and picked up by Android Headlines, show Samsung abandoning the vertical lens column that defined Ultras since the S21 Ultra. Instead, the cameras sit inside a wide horizontal plateau across the top of the back, an approach Apple took with the iPhone 17 Pro and one that echoes HONOR’s recent flagships. The trade-off is thickness: the bump measures about 12.53mm, nearly half the phone’s total depth.
| Rumored spec | Galaxy S26 Ultra | Galaxy S27 Ultra (leaked/rumored) |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9mm | About 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm (CAD-based) |
| Camera layout | Vertical lens rings, quad setup | Horizontal camera plateau, rumored triple setup |
| 3x telephoto | 10MP, f/2.4 | Rumored dropped entirely |
| Ultrawide / telephoto | 12MP UW, 50MP 5x | Rumored 50MP both positions |
| Battery | 5,000mAh | Rumored 5,534mAh cell (marketed ~5,700mAh), possibly silicon-carbon |
| Magnetic charging | Not supported | Design said to finally enable proper magnetic support |
| Expected launch | February 2026 | Rumored February 2027, pre-MWC |
Killing the 3x telephoto is the point
Reviewers have spent years calling the Ultra’s short telephoto the weakest link: a tiny sensor that shrank generation after generation while color science drifted from the main camera. Dropping it frees internal space for larger 5x sensors and cooling, which is arguably the first honest camera upgrade in years rather than a spec sheet shuffle.
Now the bad news: prices are moving up
A Korean tipster known as kro claims the S27 Ultra could cost up to 150,000 won more than its predecessor in South Korea, roughly $104. Samsung has publicly warned that memory shortages worsen through 2027 and 2028, NAND prices are climbing, and Qualcomm is raising chip prices starting September 1. The Z Flip 8 already tested the waters with a $100 bump over a near-identical predecessor. No PHP pricing exists yet, obviously, since the phone is months out; treat every peso figure online as speculation until launch.
For context on where Samsung’s lineup sits today, check our coverage of the Galaxy A27 5G in the Philippines, or the current installment math on the S26 via Home Credit if you cannot wait a year.
Should you wait for the S27 Ultra?
If your current phone still runs fine, yes: this leak cycle points to a genuinely different device, and early adopter tax on unproven redesigns is real. If your S23 or older is dying, the S26 Ultra will likely see aggressive promos once the S27 approaches, and a discounted proven flagship usually beats a first-run redesign.
