Quick summary
The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra could come with a new main camera, while also changing the color tone of the images it produces.
The new camera is said to have a warmer look, changing the color temperature.
Details about the camera for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra have leaked, giving us some interesting details – not only about the composition of the camera, but how the photos look like.
We’ve already heard that Samsung plans to reduce the number of cameras on the phone, instead dropping the 3x telephoto for a single zoom lens. This has now been confirmed by UniverseIce, who say that the 5x telephoto will stick to the existing sensor and lens with f/2.9 aperture.
The main camera sensor is said to be the ISOCELL HP6 – a version of the HPC sensor – with a 1/1.3in size, so that also brings a change compared to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra which used the ISOCELL HP2.
But this is where things get more interesting – and where the Nikon and Canon reference comes in. According to UniverseIce, Samsung will change the tone of the camera, from the cooler (bluer) images of the previous model to a warmer tone.
The Canon / Nikon comparison
This reflects the standard images that come from the major camera brands, with Canon typically being slightly warmer than Nikon. If you use the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy S27 Ultra side by side, the warmer tone should be noticeable right from the camera.
It is also said that the handling of distant bright objects is much better controlled. This means that things like points of light in the distance are less likely to be overexposed, and detail is preserved. This is said to be evident on both the main and telephoto cameras, so it’s likely a computational (processing) tweak.
That leads us to the next improvement, which is that noise is allegedly handled better, with less noise in dark areas and a smoother image. This should improve fidelity in low light and give better overall results in shadows.
This indicates a rather drastic upgrade in the image processing that takes place in the camera. Where Samsung may fall short is that it will likely stick with the f/1.4 aperture on the main camera, while rivals at Apple now offer f/4.0.
The result of changing the aperture characteristics of its main camera lens on the iPhone 18 Pro is that it is possible to get a greater depth of field so that more of the image is in focus. Samsung’s problem – and it’s one that’s existed for much of the last decade – is that the wider aperture means a very shallow depth of field.
The result is that when things get close to the lens, only a fraction of the subject is in focus, most of the rest of the image is blurred. While this doesn’t affect things like landscape photography, as soon as you take a photo of your food or anything close to it, you lose focal length.
With the Galaxy S27 Ultra so far into development, it’s unlikely that Samsung could do anything to address Apple’s current advantage on the iPhone 18 Pro. However, it looks like there will be a bunch of improvements to Samsung’s camera when it launches in 2027.