Android's Ultra flagship era could get a second chance in 2027

We’ve seen an extraordinarily high number of Android “Pro Max” flagships launch over the last few weeks, almost signalling the end of Android’s “Ultra” flagship era as brands rein in their costs in this age of AI. We’re still expecting Samsung to launch the Galaxy S27 Ultra in 2027, but it seems one more Android brand will keep its Ultra flagship around, and some of its specs have also leaked.

According to prominent tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, an upcoming “super large cup” (Ultra-tier) flagship is essentially locked in with Qualcomm’s upcoming SM8975 platform, commonly referred to as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The post is very likely alluding to a vivo flagship, which would mark this phone as the vivo X500 Ultra.

Beyond the silicon, the post outlines a 6.85-inch 2K resolution LTPO flat display sourced from BOE, capable of a 144Hz refresh rate. The display is said to be flat, with large rounded corners but equal bezels on all sides. It’s also said to have a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor underneath. One of the comments also mentions that the phone could have a battery with a capacity larger than 7,000mAh.

Digital Chat Station says the phone could launch in China in March or April 2027. There’s no word of global availability yet, and given how expensive Ultra flagships have become, it wouldn’t be surprising if the vivo X500 Ultra saw a very limited release.

Ultra flagships typically pack in the best camera tech from the Android brand, along with plenty of other overkill specs. While leaks have not yet touched on the camera specs for the X500 Ultra, vivo’s existing flagship playbook gives us a good roadmap.

For reference, the vivo X500 Pro Max already raises the bar with a massive 8,000mAh battery, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro SoC, and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with support for a 400mm ZEISS teleconverter. To justify an Ultra moniker above that, vivo would have to deliver even better hardware. The vivo X300 Ultra used a 200MP 1/1.12-inch f/1.9 35mm primary sensor, which vivo swapped for a 50MP 1/1.28-inch f/1.6 24mm primary sensor on the X500 Pro Max — so this is one area where we can hope to see some changes. If you’re a fan of overkill camera hardware on phones, you can keep your fingers crossed for more Android Ultra flagships beyond Samsung’s in 2027.