Seoul Economic Daily claimed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 exhibited overheating and performance throttling issues, compelling Samsung to ask Qualcomm to fix the problem by the end of October. The report said that Samsung was contemplating equipping the Galaxy S27 Ultra with the Exynos 2700, which had outperformed Qualcomm's chip in internal tests.
Qualcomm has rebuffed the report, calling it "inaccurate," and claiming it's working closely with mobile manufacturers to "deliver premium user experiences."
The company's Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Don McGuire, doubled down on the narrative, asserting the report was "100% NOT accurate." He denied that the company's premium chip overheated and explained that device manufacturers are consistently adjusting performance and power as a product launch nears. Perhaps that explains why Seoul Economic Daily saw the constant tuning as problematic.
Recent reporting about thermal issues related to Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is inaccurate. We are proud of the innovation and strong momentum behind our next-generation flagship platform and continue to work closely with global OEMs to deliver premium user experiences.
Qualcomm spokesperson, October 2026
No smoke without fire
Annual rumors questioning a chip's thermal efficiency before it shows up in devices are inevitable. However, there are still reasons not to entirely dismiss the report.
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For starters, the 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 pushes peak clock speed from 4.6 GHz to 5 GHz. Conversely, Qualcomm has shifted to the 2nm architecture, resulting in 40% improved power efficiency.
However, a couple of rumors indicate that the first batch of flagships with Qualcomm's high-end chip is randomly rebooting, blacking out, and crashing. Apparently, demanding workloads such as games are a bit too much for the Honor Magic Pro Max, the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, and the iQOO 16.
The problems are seemingly due to low voltage tuning, or the limits placed on how much power the processor can use. While the issue can be taken care of via a software update and isn't necessarily indicative of performance constraints, the complaints hardly inspire confidence in the chip.
Manufacturers might have tuned their handsets conservatively to keep Qualcomm's chip from overheating.
Furthermore, even if performance is no issue, the chip reportedly costs more than $300 each, making it anywhere between $20 to $60 more expensive than the 8 Elite Gen 5. That, coupled with rising memory prices, would mean a higher bill of materials cost for Samsung.
What should Samsung do?
5 Votes
Exynos 2700 might be the better chip this year
Following intense criticism of the Galaxy S21 Ultra's Exynos 2100 and the S22 Ultra's Exynos 2200, Samsung stopped equipping the Ultra variants with homebrewed chips.
The Exynos 2700 is based on the company's second-generation 2nm process. Some insiders claim that the chip has delivered higher CPU, GPU, and AI performance in internal tests than the Elite Extreme Gen 6 has while running cooler.
Perception vs reality
A chip shouldn't buckle under load. | Image by Samir Khazaka
Since Qualcomm chips are believed to be superior, even if Samsung does reintroduce Exynos in the Ultra, key markets like North America and China will likely still get Snapdragon chips.
Unlike Apple and Google, which design their chips around their use cases, Qualcomm appears to be chasing benchmarks to appeal to Android phone makers. While that may make headlines, ultimately it's sustained performance that dictates the user experience, as former Qualcomm Sr Director Samir Khazaka highlighted.
Samsung could rise above the average Android experience by optimizing the Exynos 2700 for the S27 series. The S27 Ultra would likely lose in benchmarks, but at least it wouldn't stutter and shut down when you pushed it too far.
Here's what else you need to know about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6:
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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