Samsung doesn’t need outside inspiration to redesign the Galaxy S27 camera

There is a rumor floating around suggesting Samsung is at least considering a full redesign of the Galaxy S27 camera housing. It might not happen due to cost concerns, but a change like this feels inevitable sooner or later.

One idea being discussed is that Samsung could reshape the camera module to make room for built-in magnets for Qi2 accessories. That could mean a shift toward a more vertical camera layout.

Some fans immediately pointed at the iPhone as the answer Samsung might adopt for its own. However, I believe that Samsung does not need to look further than its own backyard for inspiration.

In the current era of vertically aligned Galaxy camera modules, it is easy to forget how often Samsung has switched things up in the past.

Take the Galaxy S10. Its horizontal camera layout came two years before Google used a similar alignment on Pixel phones.

Then there is the Galaxy Note 9, which actually used a vertical camera setup a year before the S10.

Beyond the flagship phone segment, Samsung tested other, bold configurations through the Galaxy A, M, and F series.

For me, one of the most interesting examples is the Galaxy F42 camera housing, which to my eye may have influenced the OnePlus 15’s camera layout.

Then there is the Galaxy A80, still one of Samsung’s most unusual experiments. Its rotating and sliding camera system was unlike anything before or since, and the module sat vertically near the top edge of the phone.

I'm not suggesting Samsung will or should design a pop-out camera setup again, but the A80's layout was vertical and very close to the phone's upper edge. In that regard, it could become a blueprint for future models.

Samsung also experimented with the square camera housing concept on several budget models, including the Galaxy A42, Galaxy A12, M22, M33, and the list goes on.

All this is to say that if Samsung decides to redesign the Galaxy S27 or future flagships, it does not need outside inspiration. The experimental groundwork already exists, and Samsung doesn't need to copy any of its competitors.

We do not yet know what the next Galaxy S27 flagship will look like, but between thinner phones, new foldable form factors like the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide, and possible camera reshuffles, smartphone design feels like it's on the verge of a new revolution. And that's good news for those who felt like things were going stale in the phone design world.