Qualcomm “confirms” powerful Snapdragon chip for Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The most reliable information comes from the manufacturer itself. So this time Qualcomm confirms that one of its products is in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. And it can't help but be the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the S26 Ultra.
After Samsung failed to implement its own Exynos chip with the S25 series, every effort was made to ensure that the Exynos 2600 did succeed. And it succeeded, with the home-made chip coming in the European S26 and S26+. But it skipped the S26 Ultra. But that is a conscious decision this year rather than a forced one.
A published message from Qualcomm on its Snapdragon account on X reports that "something big is coming." That "big" news probably hits for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and it will end up in the Galaxy S26 Ultra if all goes well. Whether Samsung will choose to fully equip the U.S. S26 series with a Qualcomm processor is still unknown, but it is something Samsung does more often.
This dual chip strategy makes Samsung less dependent on others, and it cuts costs by manufacturing its own chips. And should the Exynos chip perform well, the chip division more easily attracts new customers, allowing it to compete with Qualcomm on two fronts.
Exynos vs Snapdragon
Consumers generally consider the Exynos variant to be the lesser of the two. For example, the Snapdragon version was often faster, got less hot and resulted in longer battery life. For the Exynos 2600, the roles seem to be reversed. For example, the Exynos 2600 is manufactured on a smaller 2nm process versus the 3nm process of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The smaller the transistors, the faster and more energy efficient the chip. Furthermore, the Exynos scores better on AI calculations in previously leaked benchmarks.
But no matter how fast a chip is on paper, it says nothing about how fast it is with daily operations. So we'll have to wait for the first practical tests. And those aren't expected until after Feb. 25. Because then Samsung will hold its famous Galaxy Unpacked event where the S26 series will be unveiled. It is expected that you will be able to order the S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra right then. Delivery is then expected a week later, in early March.
