Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra: What's Changing, What's Not And What It Might Cost In India

Oh – Sudhanshu Singh

Published: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 3:33 p.m [IST]

Samsung’s next Ultra is still a few months away, but it’s already leaked more than most phones in their launch week. Tipsters have shared CAD renderings, battery certifications, screen protectors and even color options. Some of it fits neatly together, and some of it openly contradicts itself.

Here’s where things stand as of October 2026, what looks plausible, and what you should take with a grain of salt.

When will the Galaxy S27 Ultra be launched

Samsung has not announced anything yet. The safe bet is a Galaxy Unpacked event in January or February 2027.

The timing is less predictable than it used to be. The Galaxy S26 series skipped Samsung’s usual January slot and was unveiled on February 25, 2026. If Samsung follows a similar calendar, the S27 Ultra should go on sale in India within a few weeks of its global debut, as Samsung flagships usually do.

The Ultra won’t be the only big phone this year

The S27 lineup is widely expected to grow to four phones. In addition to the Galaxy S27, S27+ and S27 Ultra, Samsung is reported to add a Galaxy S27 Pro, which brings ultra features without the S Pen.

This is important for ultra buyers more than it seems. Leaks suggest that the Pro will get a 6.5-inch display, a 5,000mAh battery and Ultra-inspired camera hardware, and Samsung is also said to be testing the S26 Ultra’s privacy display on the S27 Pro. For many people who buy the Ultra simply because it’s Samsung’s best phone, the Pro might be the more sensible choice.

The back is finally changing, and not everyone is happy

For five years, the Ultra wore the same look: single camera rings floating on a flat back. The S27 Ultra can stop that.

CAD-based renderings shared by OnLeaks and Android Headlines show a wide, raised camera platform above the rear. It didn’t take long for people online to compare it to the iPhone 17 Pro and to recent Honor and Huawei flagships. Leaks indicate that this new layout will be limited to the Ultra, while the S27, S27+ and S27 Pro will retain the familiar vertical camera stack.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra: What changes, what doesn't

Photo Credit: Onleaks / Android Headlines

The renders put the phone at around 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm, a hair larger than the S26 Ultra. The built-in S Pen seems to be staying.

The front, on the other hand, can hardly change. In early October, Ice Universe shared screen protectors said to be made for the S27 Ultra, featuring almost the same shape, corners and bezels as the current model. If this is true, telling the two phones apart from the front will be very difficult.

Goodbye to the 3x zoom camera?

This is the leak that annoyed Samsung fans the most. The S27 Ultra is rumored to drop its 10MP 3x telephoto, making it the first Ultra since 2021 without four rear cameras.

The plan, reportedly, is to lean on a 200MP main sensor and the existing 50MP 5x periscope to cover the zoom range in between. A 50MP Sony ultrawide and a new selfie camera are also part of the rumours.

The main sensor story went back and forth. Late last year, Ice Universe claimed that Samsung scrapped a larger 1/1.1-inch 200MP sensor over cost concerns. More recent reports point to a new ISOCELL HP6 sensor. Not all leaks are true about the camera count either, and some still mention a quad setup, so this is an area to treat carefully until certification images emerge.

In practice, cutting out a 200MP sensor can handle 3x shots reasonably well in daylight. Where a dedicated lens still helps is portraits and indoor shots in low light, which is exactly where many Ultra owners use it.

The 5,000mAh era may finally be over

Samsung has used a 5,000mAh battery on every Ultra since the Galaxy S20 Ultra in 2020. Meanwhile, many Chinese flagships sold in India have comfortably crossed 6,000mAh.

That streak could be breaking now. A Samsung SDI battery with model number EB-BS958DBY, connected to the S27 Ultra, has a rated capacity of 5,534mAh. That usually translates to a typical capacity of around 5,700mAh on the spec sheet. Samsung is expected to use silicon-carbon cell technology, as it reported on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, to fit more capacity without a thicker body.

Charging speed looks unchanged. China’s 3C certification lists 60W wireless charging for the S27 Ultra and S27 Pro, the same as the S26 Ultra.

Display: Same size, Newer panel

Expect a 6.9-inch screen with 1440 x 3120 resolution and the Privacy Display feature that debuted on the S26 Ultra. The upgrade is below: the S27 Ultra is rumored to use Samsung’s next-generation M16 OLED panel, which should help with brightness and power efficiency.

Chipset: Qualcomm’s new top-tier silicon

Qualcomm unveiled its new flagship chips at the Snapdragon Summit on September 22, after teasing two Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips ahead of the event. The higher-tier variant, built on a 2nm process, is the one expected in the S27 Ultra, possibly in an overclocked “for Galaxy” form.

Samsung’s own Exynos 2700 could appear in the other S27 models in select markets, but the Ultra is expected to stick to Snapdragon globally, including India.

Price: This is where it can hurt

The Galaxy S26 Ultra launched in India at Rs 1,39,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant and has since dropped to Rs 1,24,999. The S27 Ultra is unlikely to launch lower.

Tipster kro says the S27 Ultra could cost up to KRW 150,000 more than its predecessor in South Korea, about $104. US estimates put the starting price between $1,399 and $1,499, up from $1,299. The reasons are rising memory prices and Qualcomm reportedly informing customers of double-digit percentage increases on chips shipped after September 1, 2026.

Samsung India does not always mirror global increases for rupee. But if even a fraction of the increase continues, a starting price around Rs 1,50,000 for the base model would not be a surprise. That’s our guess, no leak.

Colors and software

Base color options are rumored to be Black, Blue, Light Pink and White, with Samsung.com exclusives likely to be added at launch, as usual.

On software, expect the latest version of One UI with expanded Galaxy AI and Gemini features, along with Samsung’s seven-year promise of OS and security updates.

Should you wait for the Galaxy S27 Ultra

If you use a Galaxy S24 Ultra or something older, it makes sense to wait a few months. A bigger battery alone could be a meaningful change in daily use, and the S26 Ultra will likely become cheaper when its successor arrives.

If you already own an S26 Ultra, there’s very little here worth the upgrade cost. And if you miss the 3x zoom lens, withhold judgment until Samsung confirms the camera setup.

Best Mobiles in India