Samsung’s next Ultra flagship could make one of its most controversial camera changes in years. A new leak from long-time Samsung tipster Ice Universe says the Galaxy S27 Ultra will drop the dedicated 3x telephoto camera, leaving the phone to move from its main 1x camera directly to a 5x periscope telephoto. At the same time, the main camera is now rumored to use a new 200MP ISOCELL HP6 sensor designed to shoulder more of the zoom work.
That combination matters more than simply reducing the rear camera count from four lenses to three. If the leak is accurate, Samsung is betting that a higher-quality main sensor, in-sensor cropping and better computational photography can cover the everyday 2x-to-4x range well enough to replace a dedicated optical camera. Samsung has not announced the Galaxy S27 Ultra, so all S27-specific details below remain unconfirmed.
The New Leak Says the 3x Camera Is Going Away
On September 29, Ice Universe said the Galaxy S27 Ultra will no longer use a dedicated 3x telephoto camera. 9to5Google reported the same claim while noting that leaked renders now show a three-camera rear arrangement rather than the four-camera setup used by the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Under the rumored configuration, the S27 Ultra would use its main camera for the lower zoom range and then switch to the dedicated 5x periscope camera for longer reach. The 5x module itself is not expected to receive the previously rumored large-sensor 4x replacement; Ice Universe has instead said the 5x camera will retain a 1/2.52-inch sensor and f/2.9 aperture.
Why Losing 3x Zoom Could Be a Big Deal
Three-times zoom is useful because it sits in a natural range for portraits, pets, food, street photography and everyday subjects where 5x can feel too tight. A dedicated optical module also avoids asking the main camera to crop aggressively when light levels fall.
Removing that camera therefore creates a real question: can Samsung deliver consistent detail, texture and noise control from roughly 2x through 4x using the main sensor alone? In bright daylight, a 200MP sensor has substantial resolution available for cropping. Indoors or at night, however, computational processing and sensor efficiency become much more important.
The Rumored 200MP ISOCELL HP6 Is the Key
The same Ice Universe leak says the S27 Ultra will use a 200MP ISOCELL HP6 main sensor described as a Galaxy-customized relative of Samsung’s newer high-resolution sensor technology. Android Authority reports that the rumored HP6 could inherit ideas aimed at cleaner shadows, stronger dynamic range and better handling of difficult highlights.
Samsung has not officially announced an HP6 for the S27 Ultra, so those capabilities cannot yet be treated as confirmed specifications. But Samsung has publicly demonstrated why high-resolution sensors can help bridge focal-length gaps. Its ISOCELL Zoom Anyplace technology uses in-sensor remosaic processing to maintain high resolution while zooming into a selected area, and Samsung has previously described 200MP sensors as capable of seamless 2x and 4x in-sensor zoom.
That does not automatically mean a crop from the S27 Ultra’s main camera will equal a dedicated 3x telephoto in every condition. Lens characteristics, sensor readout, processing, shutter speed and available light all affect the result. The HP6 rumor is important because Samsung would need the main camera to do more work than before.
Samsung’s Camera Processing May Change Too
The hardware rumor is accompanied by a newer processing claim. Ice Universe says S27 Ultra photos currently show a warmer overall color tone than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, better control of small bright highlights and less visible noise in dark areas. Android Authority and other outlets have reported the same three claimed changes.
Those improvements could directly support Samsung’s three-camera strategy. Better highlight control would help with signs, streetlights and bright details in night scenes, while cleaner shadows could make cropped 2x-to-4x images more usable when the main camera has less light to work with. A warmer color profile could also make the difference between S26 Ultra and S27 Ultra photos immediately visible even when resolution looks similar.
What This Means for Galaxy S26 Ultra Owners
For Galaxy S26 Ultra owners, the rumored change is not a simple upgrade on paper. The S26 Ultra gives users dedicated 3x and 5x optical options. The S27 Ultra may instead simplify the hardware while asking a new main sensor and updated processing to fill the middle of the zoom range.
That could produce a better overall camera if Samsung’s main-sensor crop is cleaner and more consistent than the current 3x module. It could also be a downgrade for users who frequently shoot portraits or low-light subjects around 3x if the crop cannot match dedicated optics. The deciding factor will be real image quality, not the number of lenses on the back.
The Earlier 4x Super-Telephoto Rumor Now Looks Less Likely
ReaderSpice previously covered reports that Samsung was testing a larger 50MP 4x telephoto sensor. The latest Ice Universe information pushes strongly against that configuration for the retail S27 Ultra, saying the familiar 5x periscope remains while the 3x module disappears.
This is a good example of why pre-release hardware leaks need to be treated as moving targets. Samsung can test multiple prototypes before settling on a production design, and a configuration seen during development does not guarantee the final phone will ship that way.
How Credible Is the Latest Information?
Ice Universe has a long track record of Samsung-related leaks, and the new 3x claim lines up with recent CAD-based renders showing three rear cameras. That makes the report more notable than an isolated anonymous rumor. Even so, the word “confirmed” in a leaker’s post is not the same as confirmation from Samsung.
Samsung has not announced the Galaxy S27 Ultra, the HP6 sensor, the removal of the 3x camera or the final 5x specifications. Until Samsung publishes specifications—or multiple independent sources produce stronger production-stage evidence—the safest description is that these are increasingly consistent leaks rather than official facts.
ReaderSpice Take
The rumored removal of the 3x camera is risky, but it is not automatically a downgrade. Samsung has spent years developing high-resolution sensors and in-sensor zoom techniques specifically to extract useful detail from a main camera at intermediate focal lengths. If HP6 delivers better dynamic range, lower noise and strong crop quality, simplifying the camera array could make sense.
The test will be portraits and low-light zoom. Those are the situations where a dedicated optical camera has the clearest theoretical advantage. If Samsung can make 3x photos from the HP6 look cleaner than the S26 Ultra’s dedicated 3x camera while also improving 1x and night photography, the S27 Ultra could end up with fewer cameras but a stronger camera system.
If you are shopping now rather than waiting for an unannounced phone, the current Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the relevant available Ultra model on Amazon.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, ReaderSpice earns from qualifying purchases.
Sources
9to5Google — Galaxy S27 Ultra’s missing camera shown in leaks is its 3x zoom
Samsung Global Newsroom — ISOCELL Zoom Anyplace and E2E AI Remosaic for 200MP sensors
Tom’s Guide — Galaxy S27 Ultra may scrap the 10MP telephoto lens