What you need to know
- Rumors now claim Samsung might hold off on a RAM/storage upgrade for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
- A Korean tipster suggests Samsung might provide LPDDR6 RAM upgrades to other companies’ “limited edition” phones.
- As a result, Samsung might leave this and a UFS 5.0 storage upgrade out of the S27 Ultra.
- This walks back previous rumors; however, those same reports said Samsung was concerned about pushing the cost of the phones too high.
The phone industry has been through it with memory issues, and now rumors say an upgrade we thought we’d get might not happen.
A consistent tipster on Naver (Korean), Lanzuk, says “details have emerged” about the situation regarding Samsung’s storage and memory (via SamMobile). Lanzuk speaks first about Samsung’s LPDDR6 RAM, citing information obtained from Weibo. They claim this hardware is “expected to be featured in flagship models from major manufacturers next year.” These “flagship models” from major companies might only involve “limited edition commemorative” (machine-translated) phones.
When we see “limited edition,” we think limited quantities, and that’s exactly what Lanzuk claims. It seems this will involve Samsung’s UFS 5.0 storage, too. It’s this upgraded storage tech and LPDDR6 RAM that Lanzuk says might not be in the cards for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
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Lanzuk claims it’s “not good” for the S27 Ultra to receive these major upgrades next year. If true, this would be a bummer. Also, the situation must’ve changed drastically, considering this tipster said the opposite in April.
Things have changed
A few months ago, rumors got underway about a possible UFS 5.0 storage upgrade for the Galaxy S27. This was an upgrade that many believed would hit the Galaxy S27 Ultra at the very least. Rumors only said this would affect “some models,” and Samsung’s top player seemed like the best fit. UFS 5.0 would bring “an increase to a device’s sequential performance to 10.8GB per second,” while also taking AI into heavy consideration.
On the surface, this seems like a major and worthwhile upgrade. However, those same reports were a little hesitant to go all in. Samsung reportedly had a lot on its plate to consider. The phone’s price, as well as its mass production costs, could’ve hindered this possibility. Since the rumors have walked back on what was said in April, maybe these worries became a reality for Samsung.
Cost concerns might make the base Galaxy S27 more of a mild phone than we want. Talk online says Samsung might “freeze” any major upgrades for the S27. This could include its cameras and display materials.
Android Central’s Take
If you haven’t seen my coverage of Samsung’s Q2 earnings, I’d suggest you give a quick little gander. Basically, the concerns that have been “expressed” in previous rumors about Galaxy S27 upgrades were mentioned. Rising costs. RAM and storage. It’s a tricky climate that companies have had to navigate. For consumers, we’re trying to hold onto our wallets. We want new devices, sure, that’s fine, but there comes a point where we have to make a decision that truly benefits us. Samsung knows the number one issue is price, as do many others.