Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra May Match Galaxy S27 Ultra With 200-Megapixel Camera, 5x Periscope Zoom

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra could receive a significantly upgraded rear camera system, according to a new leak from South Korea. The foldable handset is tipped to replace its existing telephoto camera with a higher-resolution periscope sensor while also adopting a new 200-megapixel primary camera. The same leak outlines possible changes for the standard Galaxy Z Fold 9 and suggests Samsung may further widen the gap between its two foldable models. The company has not confirmed any of the reported specifications.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra Leak Hints at Major Camera Improvements

According to Korean tipster Vampire King (translated from Korean) on the Meeco community forum, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra could swap its current 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera for a 50-megapixel Sony IMX854 periscope unit with 5x optical zoom. The tipster also points to a 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP6 sensor replacing the HP2 primary camera used in the current model.

Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra features a 200-megapixel HP2 main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera that uses the same Sony sensor found in the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8. If the latest leak proves accurate, two of those three rear cameras would be upgraded on the successor.

The reported hardware also matches previous rumours surrounding the Galaxy S27 Ultra. Earlier leaks have suggested Samsung's next flagship phone could use the same HP6 primary sensor while replacing its dedicated 3x telephoto camera with a 5x periscope lens capable of delivering up to 10x zoom through in-sensor cropping. If both reports are accurate, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 Ultra would share much of its camera hardware with the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The leak also outlines Samsung's possible approach for the standard Galaxy Z Fold 9. Rather than adding a dedicated telephoto camera, the handset is said to rely on a 200-megapixel HP6 primary sensor that uses in-sensor cropping to achieve up to 3x zoom. The current Galaxy Z Fold 8 instead uses a 50-megapixel GNG primary camera with 1.0μm pixels, which is said to limit lossless zoom to around 2x.

The source argues that Samsung's choice of camera for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has shaped the upgrade path for its successor. Had the current model adopted the same 200-megapixel HP2 sensor as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 9 could have combined a 200-megapixel HP6 sensor with improved in-sensor zoom. Instead, the leak suggests the standard Fold 9 will continue to offer less zoom flexibility than the Ultra variant.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 9 series is still believed to be more than a year away, and the claimed hardware has not been corroborated by supply chain sources or other Samsung-related tipsters. As a result, the reported camera sensors, resolutions and zoom capabilities should be treated as early leak information that may change before launch.