Samsung is preparing to bring an Apple-style Center Stage feature to its next-generation flagship phones, according to a report from Dutch Samsung news site GalaxyClub.
The Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra are rumored to feature a new 16-megapixel front camera sensor with a square format, replacing the 12-megapixel sensor that has been used across Galaxy S-series flagships since the S23 generation. The shape of the sensor is significant: Apple’s Center Stage feature, introduced with the iPhone 17, uses a square sensor combined with software that automatically pans and crops the frame to keep subjects centered during video calls and selfies. It also allows users to switch between portrait and landscape orientations without physically rotating the phone.
The base Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus are expected to retain the existing 12-megapixel front camera, continuing Samsung’s tiered strategy of reserving hardware upgrades for its Pro and Ultra models.
A square sensor provides more vertical pixel data than a standard rectangular sensor, giving the camera software additional cropping room to simulate panning and tracking without losing resolution or introducing digital artifacts. Combined with software that detects and follows faces in the frame, the effect is similar to having a camera operator continuously reframing the shot — useful for group selfies, video calls, and vlogging.
The upgrade would address a long-standing gap between Samsung and Apple in front-facing camera capabilities. While Samsung has invested heavily in rear camera systems — periscope zoom lenses, high-resolution main sensors, and computational photography — its front cameras have seen relatively incremental updates in recent generations.
Other rumored features for the S27 series include wider availability of Privacy Display hardware across the lineup. The Galaxy S27 Pro, S27 Ultra, S27 Plus, and base S27 are all expected to launch early next year.
Sources: Galaxy S27 Pro/Ultra may finally upgrade selfie with 16MP square sensor; bring Apple’s Center Stage to Android (Gizmochina, July 5, 2026); GalaxyClub (original report)