The Galaxy S26 Ultra for reference. | Image by PhoneArena
Leaving Europe aside, Samsung users in the US enjoy the same chipset in both the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra models. That's been true for many other flagship Galaxy phones in recent times – but could it change?
I think so.
The Pro way of the Snapdragon
The latest leaks are here. | Image by Digital Chat Station account on Weibo
According to popular and reliable tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the upcoming high-end chipset series by Qualcomm will consist of two variants:
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6
Both will be built on TSMC's "new-generation 2nm process", which means they should be not only powerful but highly efficient, too.
In details
The non-Pro variant will move to a 2+3+3 CPU architecture, which we already told you about some days ago. This particular silicon might come with 16MB of shared L2 cache, Adreno 845 GPU, 12 MB of graphics memory and 6MB of SLC.
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Like its Pro counterpart, it should support LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 5.0, although the way prices of RAM and storage have been skyrocketing, that's more of a threat than a promise.
Overall, the non-Pro variant might come with some "reduced cache and peripheral specifications" and it could be used in the "mid-range/pro-range" phones.
Shoud "vanilla" phones share chipsets with Ultra phones?
Why the split?
Silicon fork ahead! | Image by Qualcomm
It seems that Qualcomm will follow through with this dual-tier flagship lineup. And Samsung might embrace it for its flagship lineup as well.
I mean, Apple already does it – those who go for the iPhone Pro models enjoy a more advanced chipset than those who buy the vanilla iPhone.
Since the 2nm-class process will be extremely expensive to manufacture, splitting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 family into Pro and non-Pro variants allows Qualcomm to give phone makers a way to stay in the "flagship" branding without breaking the bank (too much).
Stop the price hikes!
The Galaxy S26 already received a $100 price hike back on its big premiere day; the non-Pro chipset may be the reason this won't happen again with its successor in 2027.
The "Pro" chip will be deserving only of truly Ultra phones. And I don't mean to rain on your parade, but the Galaxy S26 may be really advanced, but it's no match for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Of course, nothing is yet official, but I won't be surprised if the Galaxy S27 lineup offers a different chipset in the Ultra variant.
Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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