Samsung is preparing to launch its next-generation flagship, the Galaxy S27 series. Ahead of the launch — which, in typical Samsung fashion, is expected next year — a leak shared on X suggests the lineup could adopt a horizontal rear camera module, though the claim remains unconfirmed.
The leak originates from tipster Ice Universe, who posted an image showing a possible Galaxy S27 design with a horizontal camera cutout housing four rear cameras and an LED flash. In the shared image, three of the cameras sit inside a camera bump while a fourth sensor and the LED flash appear flush with the device’s back panel. The horizontal cutout is positioned closer to the left side of the device, leaving space for the flash and the fourth sensor.
Galaxy S27: A return to a horizontal camera layout?
If accurate, the design would mark a revisitation of a camera language Samsung used before 2021. Prior to the merger of the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S lines in 2021, Samsung employed a horizontal camera cutout on devices such as the Galaxy Note 8, Note 9 and the Galaxy S10 series. After the merger, that horizontal layout largely disappeared from Samsung’s flagships while the company refined a different design preset from the Galaxy S21 onward.
Other manufacturers have embraced horizontal camera treatments in recent years. Google’s Pixel 6 series established and refined a horizontal camera bar, and the iPhone 17 Pro series also introduced a horizontal camera cutout era for Apple — a trend that the source says may continue with the iPhone 18 Pro series preparing for launch in a few weeks.
Beyond aesthetics, the horizontal camera cutout is sometimes promoted as a practical solution to reduce device wobble when a phone is laid on its back. The image shared by Ice Universe implies Samsung could be following this broader design trend.
For now, Samsung has not confirmed the design shown in the leak. More leaks and official information in the coming months will be needed to verify whether the Galaxy S27 series will adopt a horizontal rear camera layout.
