I'm still using the Galaxy S23 Ultra because Samsung won't make the compact flagship of my dreams

I've been carrying the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra as my secondary phone for a couple of years now.

As much as I love the phone, it's not a device that I can carry as my daily driver. It's simply too big, which is also why I haven't upgraded to a newer model from Samsung.

As much as I want to downgrade to a smaller Galaxy flagship, I can't do that without losing the features that matter most.

Apple and Google have already cracked the compact flagship formula. Samsung is the only odd one out.

But if rumors around the Galaxy S27 Pro are true, that will finally change next year.

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Posts 6
By  Ben Khalesi

Samsung's current lineup has a Pro gap

There's no compact Ultra alternative

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best Ultra phones you can buy in the US right now. It features a versatile camera system and Privacy display, which keeps your on-screen content safe from prying eyes in public.

As much as I like the phone, it's too big for daily use. I had the same complaint with the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra before it.

While the rounded corners on the newer Ultra models help, that still doesn't change the fact that the S26 Ultra is a big phone.

Ideally, the Galaxy S26+ should have been the middle ground between the base S26 and the S26 Ultra, bringing the best Ultra features to a more compact form factor.

But that's not the case, with the S26+ just being a bigger version of the base S26. It misses out on all the Ultra features, such as a 200MP primary camera, a 5x periscope telephoto shooter, and Privacy display.

A compact flagship with true Ultra specs is not hard to achieve. Google and Apple have already been doing it for a few years now.

The iPhone 17 Pro packs the same features as its Max sibling, just in a smaller form factor. Likewise, the Google Pixel 10 Pro is essentially a more compact Pixel 10 Pro XL, with the only meaningful differences being its smaller display and battery.

Samsung takes the opposite approach with its flagship Galaxy S lineup. The Plus is essentially a larger version of the base model rather than a more compact take on the Ultra variant.

Samsung is aware of the Pro gap

It's time to fix the pro-blem

Rumors from late 2025 indicated Samsung was ready to add a Pro variant to its Galaxy S lineup this year with the S26.

For unclear reasons, it decided against this at the last moment, sticking to the usual S26, Plus, and Ultra models.

However, Samsung knows there is a Pro gap in its lineup. And early rumors surrounding the Galaxy S27 series suggest it can no longer afford to ignore it.

Reports indicate the Galaxy S27 Pro will feature a 6.47-inch display, placing it right between the base S27 and the bigger S27 Ultra. Samsung apparently wants to offer an Ultra-like experience with its Pro model.

That could mean a 200MP main camera, a 5x telephoto camera, and Privacy display — features currently exclusive to the massive Ultra.

As someone tired of carrying a phone as large as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the idea of an S27 Pro excites me.

I want the Ultra experience, right from the flexible camera system to the privacy display. But I can't live with the size.

The Galaxy S27 Pro will solve that problem for good. A device that I can carry as my daily driver with a compact form factor that does not compromise on the features that kept me loyal to the Ultra line.

Based on the popularity of the iPhone 17 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro, I'm sure I won't be the only one.

If anything, given the current DRAM and NAND supply crunch, Samsung could use the introduction of the Pro model as an excuse to increase prices, boosting its ASP and protecting its margins.

Samsung can't afford to half-bake the S27 Pro

It needs all the Ultra features

If the rumors are accurate, and Samsung is indeed planning to launch a Galaxy S27 Pro next year, it should fully commit to the device.

The Pro should not end up being another Plus with a slightly better camera and a new name. That would effectively make it dead on arrival.

Samsung must go all in: the 200MP sensor, the 5x periscope telephoto, the privacy display, and other cutting-edge Ultra features. Anything less, and the Pro would just be a Plus with a new name.

It can keep the S Pen exclusive to the Ultra, since the stylus won't be as effective on a smaller screen.

Pricing will be just as important to the S27 Pro's success. Samsung only needs to follow Apple and Google's playbook here.

Price the S27 Pro $100 below the S27 Ultra, and it could easily become the lineup's sweet spot.

A Pro in a world of Ultras

Ultra phones are getting bigger, better, and more expensive every year. That makes a Pro model in a flagship lineup a necessity.

For years, Samsung has forced users like me to choose between the Ultra's features and size or settle for a smaller phone with less appealing features.

The Galaxy S27 Pro should finally give us the best of both worlds.

And for someone who has spent two years carrying an oversized S23 Ultra as a secondary phone because no smaller Samsung could replace it, that's exactly the phone I've been waiting for.