This Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra rumour might make you rethink your S26 pre-order – one major hardware upgrade tipped

Samsung has only recently announced the Galaxy S26 series of phones, but rumours of a new camera in the Galaxy S27 Ultra might cause buyers to pause before purchase.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ushers in a slight design refresh and the widely discussed Privacy Display, but didn't make huge changes to the camera – except for the odd aperture tweak here and there.

But the story of the Galaxy S27 Ultra has kicked off with a leak from Digital Chat Station, a notable source of information on Weibo (via 9to5Google).

They claim that Samsung's next flagship camera will use the ISOCELL HPA. It's a 200-megapixel sensor that could bring the change to the Galaxy S27 Ultra that fans have been waiting for.

Key to this is LOFIC tech, which is designed to capture a wider dynamic range than normal sensors. It's also said to be larger at 1/1.12-inch, meaning more space for the pixels on the sensor and the potential to capture more light for better quality images.

LOFIC tech could change phone cameras forever

LOFIC is having something of a moment with the tech in the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, a phone we call "a camera lovers' dream", while there are also rumours that it's going to be used to bump the performance of the next-gen iPhone models too.

With the Galaxy S26 Ultra just getting announced, we're still in the early days of getting to see what the minor physical changes to the camera mean and how the new software impacts on the experience.

It's worth noting that Samsung having a new flagship sensor doesn't mean that it's definitely going to find its way in the Galaxy S27 Ultra, but some of the tech might.

Indeed, Universe Ice – another notable leaker – adds that it's a going to be the ISOCELL HP6 with a 1/1.3-inch size (so a little smaller than the HPA), but that the performance will match.

There's going to be a lot more revealed about the Galaxy S27 Ultra in the coming months, but we're not expecting to see Samsung's phone until February 2027 – and that's enough time for a complete change in direction.

We'll be watching this story unfold with interest.