Samsung may be preparing a major camera upgrade for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, with a new leak claiming its 200MP main camera could get variable aperture support. The claim comes from Weibo leaker Smart Pikachu (智慧皮卡丘), suggesting that Samsung may be looking at a hardware response to Apple’s own rumored iPhone 18 Pro camera plans.

Why does variable aperture matter?

A variable aperture camera can physically adjust the lens opening to control how much light reaches the sensor. A wider aperture helps with low-light shots and stronger background blur. A narrower aperture can help in bright outdoor scenes and keep more of the frame in focus.

This flexibility could be useful on a 200MP phone camera, where Samsung already pushes high-resolution imaging but still has to deal with tight smartphone hardware limits. A variable aperture system could help the Galaxy S27 Ultra manage exposure, depth of field, close-up shots, macro photography, and bright-light scenes with more control.

Samsung has used variable aperture before on older Galaxy S9 series phones. Bringing it back on a 200MP main camera would make the implementation much more ambitious.

Could Samsung counter Apple’s camera and AI push?

Apple is also expected to make the iPhone 18 Pro a bigger camera upgrade. The 18 Pro lineup is rumored to feature a variable aperture system for the 48MP main camera, along with larger fixed apertures for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras. The front camera may also see a sharper upgrade. The iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to improve their selfie camera performance with a 24MP square-shaped sensor.

Additionally, some key software upgrades are also on the horizon, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently reported that iOS 27 could bring AI photo tools such as Enhance, Extend, and Reframe inside the Photos app, moving Apple closer to editing features already seen on Google and Samsung phones.

A 200MP variable aperture camera could help Samsung keep the Galaxy Ultra line firmly in the hardware race as Apple pushes ahead with camera control and AI photo editing. Pricing, however, may become a major pressure point for both phones this generation, with the ongoing memory shortage reportedly driving up production costs.