Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra Leak Points to 50MP 5x Zoom as Sony Supplies Cameras

Q: Will the Galaxy S27 Ultra's controversial decision to drop a dedicated zoom lens secretly ruin its flagship photography reputation?

Probably not—unless Samsung’s image processing fails to make up for the lost mid-range optics. The rumored change is controversial because the Galaxy S27 Ultra may drop the long-used dedicated 3x telephoto lens and rely instead on a 200MP main sensor for crop zoom between roughly 2x and 4.9x, while keeping a 50MP 5x periscope camera for longer reach. On paper, that risks weaker optical performance in the very zoom range many people use most for portraits and everyday shots. But the leaks also suggest Samsung is not simply cutting hardware. The Ultra is tipped to keep a 200MP main camera, add a new 50MP Sony IMX855 ultrawide, and retain at least one 50MP 5x telephoto, with some reports even mentioning a second zoom sensor. If accurate, that would still leave the phone with a very strong high-end camera system. A large, high-resolution main sensor can often produce good crop-based results at 2x or 3x, especially in bright light. The real risk is consistency. A dedicated 3x lens usually gives cleaner subject separation, more natural compression, and better detail in mixed or low light than digital or sensor-crop zoom. If Samsung removes that lens mainly to cut cost or simplify the design, critics could see it as a downgrade. So the Ultra’s reputation would be hurt only if real-world 3x shots look clearly worse than prior Ultras or rival flagships. If Samsung’s new sensors and processing are strong enough, most users may never notice the trade-off.

3 articles · Updated · Droid Life · Jul 27

A leaked database says Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra will carry a 50MP 5x optical zoom camera, a second zoom sensor and a 50MP ultrawide unit.
Sony is listed as the rear-camera supplier, with the new IMX855 sensor set for the Ultra’s ultrawide camera and also appearing on the Galaxy S27 Pro.
The S27 Pro and Ultra are also tipped to share a new 16MP Samsung selfie camera with autofocus and optical image stabilization; both are still expected to use a 200MP main sensor.
Base Galaxy S27 and S27+ models appear to keep matching setups — 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide and an unspecified zoom camera — while leaked codenames run from NM1 to NM4 under 'Next Miracle' or 'New Miracle'.