Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Aug 3

Samsung Expands Inkjet Lens Printing to 3 S27 Ultra Cameras as It Eyes a Slimmer Module

Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Aug 3

Samsung Expands Inkjet Lens Printing to 3 S27 Ultra Cameras as It Eyes a Slimmer Module

Q: Why would Samsung give the S27 Pro a 200MP camera but deny it the 5x zoom rivals offer on smaller Pro phones?

Samsung appears to be doing it to protect margins and preserve clear separation within the lineup, not because a 5x zoom is technically impossible on the S27 Pro. The reporting around the S27 series points to rising memory and component prices putting Samsung’s mobile business under pressure. In that context, a 200MP main camera makes marketing sense because it delivers an obvious headline upgrade and can also help cover some mid-range zoom through sensor cropping. That lets Samsung advertise a premium camera on the Pro without paying for the larger, more complex 5x periscope hardware on every upper-tier model. At the same time, Samsung seems to be deliberately reserving its best zoom system for the Ultra. Leaks say the S27 Pro would get the same 200MP main and 50MP ultrawide as the Ultra, but only a 12MP 3x telephoto. That creates a meaningful feature gap and gives buyers a reason to pay more for the Ultra, especially since Samsung may be simplifying the Ultra’s own camera system to three rear sensors and relying more on the 200MP sensor for intermediate zoom. This strategy does leave Samsung exposed to criticism. Apple and Google reportedly offer 5x zoom on smaller Pro-class phones, so the S27 Pro could look compromised beside rivals. But Samsung may be betting that most buyers respond more to the 200MP spec and overall “Pro” branding than to the loss of a dedicated 5x lens. In short, it looks like a cost-control and product-tiering decision.

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 3

Three rear camera modules on Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra are reportedly set to use expanded inkjet lens printing, a manufacturing change aimed at trimming camera-stack thickness.
Instead of plastic light-blocking films between six to eight lens elements, the process sprays matte-black ink onto lens edges to cut stray reflections, lens flare and ghosting while saving micrometers of space.
That extra room could help Samsung shrink the camera bump or fit more ambitious hardware, including a rumored 200MP variable-aperture lens and LOFIC sensor technology for better dynamic range.
The move builds on a smaller S26 Ultra test and could support broader S27 Ultra camera changes already rumored, including a possible shift from four rear cameras to a triple-lens setup without a dedicated 3x telephoto.