Galaxy S26 5G likely to use Snapdragon chip, but with Samsung twist

Samsung Galaxy S26 5G is tipped to be powered by a “Samsung-made” Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 processor, making it a cost-effective choice for the series.

Samsung’s flagship models stay in the limelight for the processor debate. Every year, the company struggles to make a choice between the in-house Exynos chip and Snapdragon’s latest flagship generation chip. However, this year, Samsung may finally come to a cost-effective deal for the Galaxy S26 5G series, and it is anticipated to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2. While it may give relief to many, Samsung is reported to bring its own twist to the processor.

Samsung Galaxy S26 5G series is likely to stick with the Snapdragon processor, but it could make a cost-cutting move, affecting performance. (Ijaj Khan/ HT Tech)

By Aishwarya Panda

Aishwarya Panda is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream with nearly 4 years of experience in tech content writing. She is passionate about writing and exploring her interests in the ever-evolving world of technology. She loves to get her hands on new tech products and gadgets, especially in the space of smartphones.

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Apparently, the new generation S series models will likely be powered by a “Samsung-made” Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 processor. This new processor is expected to be cost-effective in comparison to the TSMC-made processors. Now, both TSMC and Samsung are likely to collaborate to custom-make the processor for the upcoming Galaxy S26 5G series models

Samsung Galaxy S26 5G series: What to expect

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will make its debut soon with an upgraded performance architecture. Several flagship smartphones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others. Samsung is also expected to integrate the flagship chipset for the Galaxy S26 series. However, it may have found a more cost-effective way to retain the Snapdragon processor.

According to a tipster who goes by the name Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the Galaxy S26 will likely use a “Samsung-made” Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip, which has the model number SM8850s. This new processor is said to be cheaper than the TSMC-made processor.

If true, this may come as good news for buyers as Samsung will be able to maintain the pricing of the Galaxy S26 models. Although the performance could come as a concern, since Samsung's fabrication process struggles to match the TSMC process. Therefore, we can anticipate that the Samsung-made chip may not be as powerful as the TSMC-made Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.

Now, we will have to wait until the Galaxy S26 launch, which will likely take place in January 2026. As of now, several rumours surrounding the Galaxy S26 Ultra have been circulating with an upgraded camera setup, slimmer build, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and more. A recent leak also suggests that the Ultra model could finally support more than 45W charging. Therefore, we can expect several upgrades coming next year.