The worst Galaxy S27 Ultra upgrade may have been avoided

A fresh leak suggests we may be getting Snapdragon power after all.

A Galaxy S26 Ultra phone placed on a table with the S Pen next to it.
Galaxy S26 Ultra for illustrative purposes. | Image by PhoneArena
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Samsung may have changed its mind about the Galaxy S27 Ultra. While recent rumors indicated the company may be paving the way for its in-house Exynos 2700, a new leak suggests the flagship could end up being good news for those who aren't fans of Exynos performance.

Snapdragon under the hood after all



According to a new X leak, Samsung might stick with a familiar tradition for its upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra. In case you missed it, there have been some talks that the South Korean tech giant may actually use the Exynos 2700 in its next year's Ultra model, but that may not happen after all. 

Supposedly, Samsung might have negotiated prices with Qualcomm, allowing it to add the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro inside the Galaxy S27 Ultra. X leaker @kro_roe also claims the upcoming Galaxy S27 Pro may also feature a Snapdragon processor in all markets. 

It's important to treat this leak with a grain of salt because the tipster doesn't have an established track record. Also, there appear to be no corroborating rumors from more established sources confirming that Samsung has locked in a Snapdragon chip for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

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What would make a price hike on the Galaxy S27 Ultra easier for you to accept?
2 Votes


The Exynos question 


Just a few days back, multiple outlets covered the possibility of Samsung actually equipping its Ultra flagship with an Exynos chip for the first time since the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Reportedly, the tech giant has placed an order for Exynos 2700 motherboards for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Although I'm not a huge fan of the idea, I have to admit the Exynos 2700 appears to be an absolute performance beast. A die shot was leaked on September 3, showing what the company may be changing compared to the Exynos 2600.

Even if Samsung goes ahead with Snapdragon on the S27 Ultra, it remains unclear whether all regions will get Qualcomm's chip or if it will be limited to certain markets.

Should we prepare for a price hike?


Rumors from all the way back in February gave us a hint of just how much Qualcomm's ultra-premium silicon may cost, with a single wafer reportedly costing over $30,000.  That would practically mean manufacturers could end up coughing up $300 for the processor alone

Even if a deal has been signed, I highly doubt that Qualcomm would considerably lower the asking price of its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro wafers. So, if Samsung really does manage to secure the chip for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, it may have to absorb some of that additional cost or (what's much more likely) pass it on to consumers.

The best news




We've already become used to Samsung splitting its vanilla and Plus models between different markets, typically offering Qualcomm's latest chips in some regions while equipping the same phones with an Exynos SoC in others.

But so far, rumors suggesting the company may also split the Ultra next year aren't convincing enough, at least in my opinion. 

I would certainly accept an Exynos-powered S27 Ultra if it meant Samsung could keep the price in check, but I have to admit that the prospect of getting a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro without an inflated MSRP sounds a whole lot better.
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