- Samsung is reportedly considering redesigning the camera layout on future Galaxy phones
- This might in part be to allow space for magnets, so you can use magnetic chargers and accessories without a case
- We probably won't see this design change before the Galaxy S27 at the earliest
Whether the Samsung Galaxy S series has an iconic design or a boring one is somewhat subjective, but what’s undeniable is that not much has visually changed with these phones for years now — especially when it comes to their vertical camera arrangement.
But it seems Samsung might soon shake things up, as according to Ice Universe — a reputable leaker — posting on Weibo (via Phone Arena), the company is considering changing the position of the rear cameras.
The same claim has also been made by another leaker on South Korean site Naver, who added in a comment that part of the reason for this change is to leave space for built-in Qi2 magnets, so that future Samsung phones could have case-free, MagSafe-style magnetic wireless charging.
It could take inspiration from a rival
If that’s the case, then it’s likely that the redesigned cameras won’t extend as far down the back of the phone as they do currently, so they might instead have a Pixel-style pill module; a width-spanning, iPhone-like camera island; or a squarish block like the OnePlus 15.
It’s also possible we could get a circular camera block, like you’ll find on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, though if magnets are going to be included, it would possibly have to be smaller than Xiaomi’s version.
Of course, we doubt Samsung would directly copy any of these phone designs, since it would want its devices to have their own identity. But those are probably the four most common general smartphone camera designs, so something broadly in line with one of them seems likely.
It’s unclear when this design change might emerge, if it does at all, but we’d assume a flagship phone would get redesigned first, so the earliest we’d expect to see it is with the Samsung Galaxy S27 series, which isn’t likely to launch until early 2027. So, whatever Samsung is planning, there’s probably a while to wait for it.
