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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to Feature Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Processor

The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, anticipated for release in January, will be equipped with Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship application processor (AP), the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Notably, this device will utilize a modified variant branded as “for Galaxy.” According to a translation of a Weibo post from Digital Chat Station, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may debut as early as September, a shift from the October release timeline established for Qualcomm’s previous flagship processors.

Reasons for the Early Unveiling

This potential rescheduling could be influenced by Qualcomm’s desire to avoid overshadowing its announcement by MediaTek’s impending launch of the Dimensity 9500 SoC, which is also expected in September. The competition between these two chip manufacturers is intensifying, especially as both are expected to utilize TSMC’s advanced third-generation 3nm process node (N3P) for their 2025 flagship processors.

Another reason might be Samsung’s intention to initiate pre-orders for its flagship series earlier than usual. If Samsung decides to move the unveiling of the Galaxy S26 series to December 2025, it could allow pre-orders for both the Galaxy S25 and S26 to occur within the same calendar year. This approach would strategically position Samsung to compete more directly with the iPhone 17 series by minimizing the release gap between their flagship smartphones.

Further insights from Digital Chat Station reveal that flagship Android devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 are expected to reach consumers in October. This new AP is rumored to incorporate upgraded “Pegasus” cores with maximum clock speeds reaching 5GHz, alongside support for LPDDR6 RAM and a redesigned Adreno 840 GPU.

Specifications of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2

The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will retain the 2 + 6 core architecture utilized in its predecessor, comprising two Prime Cores capable of 4.32GHz and six Performance Cores clocked up to 3.53GHz. While the standard version offers robust performance, the “for Galaxy” variant is predicted to push these speeds further. The anticipated enhancements are expected to provide a 25% performance boost over the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with the Adreno 840 GPU projected to deliver an impressive 30% improvement in graphics performance. These insights were reiterated in a separate Weibo post by the same source from two weeks ago.

It is highly likely that all Galaxy S26 series devices sold in the U.S., China, and Canada will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Meanwhile, customers in other regions can expect the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ models to come equipped with Samsung’s Exynos 2600 chipset, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will exclusively power the Galaxy S26 Ultra globally.

Source
www.phonearena.com