Erencan YılmazIn the smartphone industry, competition over processor performance remains fierce, and Qualcomm just made a strategic move not with new silicon, but with branding. The introduction of “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5” isn’t merely a superficial update. The “Elite” title signals the company’s focus on top-tier performance, underscoring Qualcomm’s commitment to its custom Oryon CPU cores.
Galaxy S26 Ultra to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
These cores stem from their 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, and Qualcomm clearly wants the market to associate this chip with a meaningful leap forward, rather than a routine annual refresh. The official launch is scheduled for next week at the Snapdragon Summit, generating significant anticipation across the sector.
Samsung, as usual, is keeping close ties with Qualcomm. Their forthcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra looks set to feature a special “for Galaxy” variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, reinforcing Samsung’s positioning as a premium device maker, particularly in regions where Qualcomm processors command significant market preference.
Notably, Samsung is also revisiting its dual-chip approach. Reports indicate that the company will utilize the new Exynos 2600 in certain Galaxy S26 models, such as the S26 Pro and S26 Edge, in select geographic markets. This shift signals Samsung’s ongoing investment in in-house silicon and a drive for greater self-sufficiency. The Exynos 2600 is rumored to be Samsung’s first 2nm chipset, offering a 10-core CPU alongside the AMD RDNA-based Xclipse 960 GPU. This positions Samsung as a direct competitor to Qualcomm in high-end mobile processing capabilities.
Ultimately, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series will highlight the ongoing competition between Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line and Samsung’s own Exynos chips, providing customers a clear choice between two advanced technology platforms. As both companies push for breakthroughs, the stakes for performance, efficiency, and brand loyalty continue to rise.
Source: Qualcomm
