Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra release date expectations, price estimates, and upgrades

What’s Expected to Change vs. the Galaxy S26 Ultra

• Bigger 5,700mAh battery: A 3C listing may confirm this size. That is a 14% jump. It would be the first big capacity boost in Galaxy S Ultra history.
• Three rear cameras: The quad-camera setup may go away. In its place: a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP telephoto.
• 16MP selfie camera: The front camera could get its first resolution upgrade since the Galaxy S23 line.
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro: US models are likely to use Qualcomm’s newest flagship chip. The global market chip is still unclear.
• Polar ID: Samsung may be looking at Polar ID biometric authentication. It could become a new security feature.
• S Pen: The built-in S Pen will likely stay the same as the last generation.
• LPDDR6 RAM: We still don’t know if it will be included. Reports say it could be dropped. Or it may only come with the 16GB/1TB version.
• Galaxy S27 Pro: Samsung might launch a smaller Pro model. It may not have an S Pen. Most markets could get the Exynos 2700 chip.

Expected Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra release date Timeline

• January or February 2027: Samsung will likely unveil the Galaxy S27 Ultra at an Unpacked event. The full Galaxy S27 lineup should appear at the same time.

Expected Price

• Starting around $1,299 or higher: Detailed pricing leaks are not available yet. The Galaxy S26 Ultra started at $1,299. Rising chipset costs could push the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s starting price higher. Memory prices keep going up too.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Release Date

The Galaxy S27 Ultra should arrive in January or February 2027. Samsung will likely show the whole Galaxy S27 family at one Unpacked event. Rumors also point to a Galaxy S27 Pro. This model may be smaller. It may not have a built-in S Pen.

If it ships, the S27 Pro could be Samsung’s first real compact Ultra-tier phone. That would break from the Ultra line’s usual big-screen shape.

Samsung usually reveals its Galaxy S series at a special Unpacked event. A short pre-order window follows. Then the phones hit stores.

Work on the S27 series seems to be moving. One UI 9.5 test firmware was reportedly seen on Samsung’s servers. Still, this progress looks a bit slower than the S26 series. So the reveal may land closer to February 2027, not January.

Galaxy S27 Ultra price and deals

The Galaxy S27 Ultra has no official price yet. But several signs point to a higher cost than the S26 Ultra.

Qualcomm has reportedly told customers about double-digit chipset price hikes. Memory component inflation could also raise Samsung’s production costs.

Samsung already raised prices for the Galaxy S26 lineup. The S26 and S26 Plus went up by $100. The S26 Ultra 512GB rose by $80. The 1TB model jumped by $140.

If these pressures continue, the Galaxy S27 Ultra could start above $1,299.99 in the US. But Samsung may soften the blow with launch promos, trade-in offers, or free storage upgrades.

A rumored Galaxy S27 Pro could also join the lineup. It would likely sit between the $1,099.99 Galaxy S27 Plus and the $1,299.99 Galaxy S27 Ultra. That gives buyers one more premium choice.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Deals to Expect

• Samsung: Samsung.com may have the best launch deals. Look for high trade-in values and early reservation bonuses. Ultra buyers may also get a free storage upgrade.
• Verizon: Verizon is expected to give big trade-in credits. These could reach $1,000. You must add a new line on an eligible Unlimited plan.
• AT&T: AT&T will likely run similar flagship promos. Trade-in discounts will depend on new lines or plan upgrades.
• T-Mobile: T-Mobile may push hard with launch offers. You could get up to $1,000 off with an eligible trade-in. Sometimes there are buy-one-get-one deals too. These usually require adding a new line.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Camera

The Galaxy S27 Ultra may get a big camera redesign. Reports say the rear setup will drop from four cameras to three. The main camera could keep its 200MP resolution. But it may use a larger sensor. That could help with dynamic range and low-light shots.

The 10MP 3x telephoto may be removed. The 50MP 5x periscope could stay. Samsung may also add a 50MP ultra-wide camera. This would give the phone a simpler but better setup.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Expected Camera Setup

• 200MP main camera: New sensor, potentially with LOFIC technology
• 50MP ultra-wide: Expected upgraded sensor
• 50MP 5x telephoto: May use a 1/2.52-inch sensor
• 16MP selfie camera: Upgrade from the 12MP camera used since the S23 Ultra

A variable-aperture main camera was also rumored. But Samsung reportedly dropped it. The reasons were added cost, camera-module thickness, and limited real benefits.

The 16MP selfie camera could be one of the clearest upgrades. It marks Samsung’s first Ultra selfie-resolution bump since the S23 Ultra. Overall, the S27 Ultra may replace three of its four old camera sensors. It may also remove the dedicated 3x zoom lens.

Galaxy S27 Pro camera: The Galaxy S27 Pro may share much of the Ultra’s camera hardware. It could have a triple-camera setup. That means a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP telephoto. The Pro may also get the same 16MP front camera upgrade.

Another interesting rumor is a 3.5x optical telephoto. It would use Samsung’s ALoP technology. This design could boost brightness and cut noise. It may also take up less space inside the camera module. But it is still unclear if ALoP will be only on the Pro. It might also show up on the S27 Ultra.

Galaxy S27 Ultra storage

The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to offer three storage options:

• 256GB: Expected to come with 12GB RAM
• 512GB: Likely available with 12GB or 16GB RAM
• 1TB: Expected to offer 16GB RAM

This would match Samsung’s recent Ultra storage plan. More RAM would be saved for the bigger storage models.

Galaxy S27 Pro storage: The Galaxy S27 Pro is rumored to offer the same 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. But the exact RAM setups have not been confirmed yet.

Galaxy S27 Ultra design

Many reports point to a big camera module redesign for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. A horizontal camera bar may replace the current vertical layout.

IceUniverse shared a sketch of a rear panel. It showed two cameras stacked on one side. The other side had a long island holding a third camera and the flash.

More detailed renders followed. They showed the main and ultra-wide cameras grouped on the right. The 5x telephoto and flash sat in a separate pill-shaped island. This matched the earlier sketch.

SammyGuru also found a Samsung patent filing. It showed a horizontal camera module that fits that same description.

The possible redesign stands out for one reason. Earlier this year, Samsung’s VP of Design for its Mobile eXperience unit, Lee Ji-young, called the Galaxy S26’s vertical camera layout “perfect.” She also called it a pillar of Samsung’s brand identity. Still, not every source agrees a redesign is confirmed.

IceUniverse also revealed a second design change. It has drawn a much warmer response. The Galaxy S27 Ultra will have rounder corners and deeper bevels than the S26 Ultra.

In Ice’s side-by-side comparison, the difference is subtle but clear. Samsung has been slowly softening the Ultra’s frame since the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The S27 Ultra takes that trend one step further. Even a small change to bevel depth can make a real difference in how the phone feels in your hand over long use.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to keep a similar overall size and display to the S26 Ultra. The S Pen slot and bottom speaker are reportedly staying in their current spots.

The camera layout could be the biggest design change. Early third-party cases show a few possible camera-bar designs. But the most detailed one has two large cutouts for the main and ultra-wide cameras. It also shows separate openings for the telephoto lens and LED flash.

Interestingly, the cases seen so far do not have an obvious opening for a Laser Autofocus sensor. This suggests Samsung could be changing or removing that part.

Samsung is unlikely to fully remove autofocus from the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The missing Laser AF cutout in recent cases may simply mean the sensor has moved. It may sit in a new spot compared with earlier renders.

Past renders put the Laser AF part inside the second pill. It sat next to the telephoto camera and flash. But more case designs keep showing up. This suggests the horizontal camera-bar layout is likely final.

Beyond the camera changes, the S27 Ultra’s overall design is expected to stay fairly close to the S26 Ultra. No major external redesign is currently indicated.

One more interesting claim comes from tipster Sonny Dickson. He suggests the Galaxy S27 Ultra could come in two different sizes. If true, this would be a first for Samsung’s Ultra lineup.

IceUniverse’s renders of the four Galaxy S27 models add some doubt to the two-size Ultra rumor. The renders reportedly name the Galaxy S27 Pro, S27, S27 Plus, and S27 Ultra. They do not hint at a second Ultra variant.

This could mean the earlier two-size claim was really about the S27 Pro. That fits if its design sits closer to the Ultra than the standard S27 models. For now, a second Galaxy S27 Ultra size remains unconfirmed.

Two of the four Galaxy S27 models in IceUniverse’s renders show the horizontal camera bar. This hints that Samsung may be bringing this design to more phones than just the Ultra.

The three non-Ultra models also appear to have a small hardware change. Their bottom speaker grille shifts to the right of the USB-C port. This marks a subtle break from the Galaxy S26 series.

The S Pen is expected to stay on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. Earlier rumors said Samsung might remove it. But newer reports say Samsung has also dropped plans for a big S Pen upgrade this generation.

The phone could be a bit lighter. It may keep a thickness of around 7.9mm, close to the S26 Ultra. A new Polar ID authentication system is also rumored. It could work like Face ID without a visible front-camera cutout. That may boost security for payments and sensitive data.

Qi2 magnetic wireless charging is another feature to watch. The rumored horizontal camera bar could help fix alignment issues. Those issues reportedly blocked full Qi2 support on the S26 Ultra.

Galaxy S27 Pro Design

The rumored Galaxy S27 Pro is expected to be much smaller than the Ultra. Its display may be just under 6.5 inches, with no S Pen. IceUniverse’s renders suggest it may share the Ultra’s horizontal camera-bar design. That would give the Pro a more premium look than the standard Galaxy S27.

Galaxy S27 Ultra display

No display-specific leaks have appeared yet. Screen size is not expected to change from the current 6.9 inches.

The S26 Ultra brought a hardware-based Privacy Display. It hides on-screen content from anyone viewing at an angle. You can set it per-app or turn it on system-wide. It was Samsung’s biggest display upgrade for its flagship in 2026. Now it is rumored to spread across the whole S27 lineup. That means the Ultra, Pro, Plus, and base model could all get it.

The S27 Ultra may handle Privacy Display in a new way. IceUniverse says a split-screen Privacy Display mode is coming. The Xiaomi 18 Pro already has this feature.

Instead of hiding the whole screen, it would hide only parts of it. In split-screen mode, one pane could be blocked from onlookers. The other pane would stay fully visible. This helps when you use a banking app and a browser side by side.

The S26 Ultra lets you trigger privacy per app. But the effect covers the full screen. The hardware behind it is called Flex Magic Pixel (FMP).

Both the Galaxy S27 Ultra and the rumored Galaxy S27 Pro are tipped to use Samsung Display’s M16 panel. This is Samsung’s most advanced OLED tech. It brings better color accuracy, higher peak brightness, better power efficiency, and longer durability.

The S26 Ultra ran M14. That same M14 material may now move down to the standard S27 and S27 Plus. Those models used M13 from the S24 through the S26. The Ultra jumps ahead by a full generation instead. The M16 panel pushes peak brightness to 10,000 nits. The M14 topped out at 6,000 nits.

A Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with an adaptive 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate is expected to carry over unchanged.

Galaxy S27 Pro display: The S27 Pro is expected to have a screen just under 6.5 inches. ETNews points to 6.47 inches specifically. The Privacy Display feature, once exclusive to the S26 Ultra, may also come to the S27 Pro.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Battery

The Galaxy S27 Ultra is now expected to pack a 5,700mAh battery. A 3C listing in China reportedly confirms the capacity. This would be a big jump over the S26 Ultra’s 5,000mAh cell.

At 5,700mAh, the S27 Ultra would gain about 14% more capacity. It would also mark the first time Samsung has raised the battery size of a Galaxy S Ultra. Every Ultra model from the S20 Ultra through the S26 Ultra has used a 5,000mAh battery.

Earlier rumors pointed to 6,000–7,000mAh. Those claims now look unlikely. Samsung is reportedly eyeing silicon-carbon battery tech. This could boost capacity without making the battery much bigger.

The same 3C listing reportedly shows the Galaxy S27 Pro with a 5,200mAh battery. That would also be a notable gain for its smaller size.

Samsung learned a hard lesson from the Galaxy Note 7. The battery itself was not the problem. The design and manufacturing were. Phones overheated. Samsung recalled them. Then it cancelled the line. Since then, Samsung has played it safe with battery size.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra may change that. It could pack a 5,700mAh battery. Silicon-carbon tech makes this possible. It boosts capacity without making the battery bigger. Samsung executives have hinted at this shift. They say silicon-carbon cells will come when users truly benefit.

Charging may stay the same. The S27 Ultra should keep 65W wired charging from the S26 Ultra. Qi2 wireless charging could also show up.

Galaxy S27 Pro battery: The Galaxy S27 Pro is reportedly confirmed at 5,200mAh. That makes it the first Samsung phone in this size class to top 5,000mAh. This should give the Pro strong battery life despite its more compact build.

Galaxy S27 Ultra features and software

The Galaxy S27 Ultra should run One UI 9.5. It sits on top of Android 17.

Leaker Tarun Vats found firmware entries for the S27 series. They appeared on Samsung’s servers. The build numbers stayed hidden. So key feature details are still out of reach. The entries do confirm one thing. The Galaxy S27 Pro exists as a fourth model in the lineup.

Samsung is moving a bit slower this time. Its work on the S26 moved faster. This hints at a launch closer to February 2027. A January reveal looks less likely.

Leaker Fahad Ali Javed shared a screenshot. It came from an internal One UI 9.5 build. The shot suggests Samsung is testing native app mirroring for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. This feature would let users reach their phone’s apps and notifications from a laptop. It would even work when the phone is locked. Both devices must use the same Samsung account. iPhone users have had a similar tool since 2024.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra may handle calls better. A new Samsung patent shows a system that checks incoming numbers against a blocklist. The phone could reject matches before it even rings. But a patent does not mean the feature will ship.

Galaxy AI should still be a big part of the S27 Ultra. Samsung may improve Now Bar, Now Brief, and Bixby. These build on features from the S26 series.

Android 17 should also bring Gemini Intelligence. This lets Gemini do more complex tasks across apps. The S27 Ultra could be a key device to show off these skills.

Samsung should also keep its seven-year promise for software and security updates.

Galaxy S27 Pro Features and Software: The Galaxy S27 Pro should offer a similar software feel to the Ultra. But S Pen features would stay only on the Ultra.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Hardware and Specs

The Galaxy S27 Ultra may bring Samsung’s largest battery jump yet. It could also pack a new Snapdragon chip and up to 16GB of RAM.

Galaxy S27 Ultra Expected Specs

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro
• RAM: 12GB or 16GB
• Battery: 5,700mAh
• Charging: 65W wired, 15W wireless
• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
• Cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP 5x telephoto, 16MP selfie

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro may use a 2nm build. Rumored clock speeds could near 5GHz or go higher. The S27 Ultra should use Snapdragon chips worldwide. The standard S27 and S27+ may lean more on Samsung’s Exynos 2700 in global markets.

Early leaks suggest the Exynos 2700 looks strong. It may beat the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 in some internal tests. Still, these numbers come from leaks, not final retail units.

RAM and Storage Technology

The LPDDR6 and UFS 5.x picture is still unclear. Some reports say both were dropped for the main S27 Ultra. Others say LPDDR6 may come, perhaps only on the 16GB model. LPDDR6 could bring much higher memory bandwidth and better power use than LPDDR5X.

Galaxy S27 Pro Expected Specs

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in some markets / Exynos 2700 in most others
• Battery: 5,200mAh
• Cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 16MP selfie
• Display: Approximately 6.47 inches
• S Pen: No

The S27 Pro should be much smaller than the Ultra. Buyers outside markets like the US may get the Exynos 2700 version.

Should I Wait for the Galaxy S27 Ultra?

• Wait for the Galaxy S27 Ultra if you want Samsung’s next big flagship. It also helps if you are not in a rush to upgrade. Rumors point to a new main camera sensor. A larger 5,700mAh battery is also on the list. Add the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, better display tech, and a rounder, comfier design. These could make it a bigger jump than the S26 Ultra was over the S25 Ultra. Seven years of software support and One UI also make it a smart pick for long-term use.
• Do not wait for the Galaxy S27 Ultra if your current phone is still fast enough. Skip it too if you like smaller phones or care about zoom range. The Ultra should keep its 6.9-inch screen. It may also drop the 3x telephoto lens. That could cut zoom options versus the S26 Ultra. If you want the S27 Pro, know this first. Some markets may get the Exynos 2700, not Snapdragon.