Samsung Reportedly Scraps Variable Aperture Camera Plans for Galaxy S27

Samsung Electronics has reportedly abandoned plans to reintroduce a physical variable aperture camera feature on its upcoming Galaxy S27 smartphone series, according to industry reports.

The decision was detailed by Mashable Tech, which cited coverage originally reported by South Korean news outlet ETNews and tech publication 9to5Google. The move alters Samsung's planned hardware specifications for the flagship device lineup, which is scheduled to release early next year.

Variable aperture technology enables a camera lens to physically adjust its opening, allowing more or less light onto the image sensor depending on environmental conditions, similar to a traditional DSLR camera. Samsung originally introduced the mechanical technology on the Galaxy S9 around 2018 and retained it for the Galaxy S10, before replacing the physical components with software-based photographic solutions on more recent models.

Industry reports had previously suggested Samsung intended to bring mechanical variable aperture hardware back for the Galaxy S27 line. The strategy was viewed as a competitive move against Apple, which is reportedly working to add variable aperture technology to its upcoming iPhone 18 models.

However, Samsung ultimately decided against reintroducing the mechanical lens feature due to rising manufacturing costs. Higher production expenses made the component difficult to justify for the upcoming device generation.

In addition to cost factors, the physical dimensions required for a mechanical variable aperture system posed design challenges. Incorporating the moving lens parts would have required a noticeably thicker camera bump on the back of the chassis, leading Samsung to drop the hardware integration.