Samsung Keeps Galaxy S27 Ultra 5x Telephoto, Rejecting 4x Upgrade Rumor

Q: Will Samsung's risky decision to ditch the dedicated 3x zoom lens backfire, or can software truly replace optical hardware?

Samsung can probably get away with dropping the 3x lens, but only if its software and main sensor deliver clearly better results in the 2x to 4x range. If they do not, the move will look like cost-cutting. The case for removal is stronger than it would have been a few years ago. Samsung’s 200MP main camera already covers lower zoom levels reasonably well through sensor cropping, remosaic processing, and multi-frame computation. Samsung’s own 200MP sensor technology is built around that idea, claiming up to roughly 4x in-sensor zoom while still preserving useful detail. That makes an aging 10MP 3x module, especially one with a small sensor, easier to replace than the 5x periscope, which remains important for true long-range shots. But software is not a full substitute for optics. A dedicated telephoto lens still has advantages in texture, depth, stability, and consistency, especially in low light, moving subjects, portraits, and video. Cropping from the main sensor can look convincing in bright daylight, yet it usually breaks down faster when light drops or the subject is in motion. That is where a missing 3x camera could be noticed. So the risk is real, but limited. If Samsung keeps the 5x periscope, improves processing between 2x and 4x, and uses the saved space for a better layout, larger battery, or stronger stabilization, many users may not miss the 3x lens. Camera enthusiasts, however, likely will. For them, optical hardware still matters.

3 articles · Updated · GSMArena.com · Sep 14

Ice Universe said Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra will keep the S26 Ultra’s 5x 1/2.52-inch telephoto camera, calling reports of a switch to a 4x module with a 1/1.9-inch sensor “100% false.”
That leaves the main camera setup largely unchanged on long zoom, though the separate rumor that Samsung will drop the 3x 10MP telephoto was not denied and now appears more likely.
CAD-based renders still point to a camera layout reshuffle, aimed at refreshing the phone’s look and improving clearance for magnetic accessories that currently require awkward cutouts.
The decision would preserve the Ultra’s zoom advantage over the Galaxy S27 Pro, which was previously rumored to carry only a 3x 12MP telephoto alongside 200MP main and 50MP ultra-wide cameras.