Pareesa Afreen 
Dec 15, 2025
Samsung is expected to kick off its 2026 smartphone lineup with the launch of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, a flagship device that will set the benchmark for hardware, software, and AI features throughout the year.
While anticipation around the phone is already high, one question has dominated discussion within the Samsung community: Exynos or Snapdragon?
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specifications (expected)
Recent regulatory filings appear to have settled the debate. Listings from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal two Galaxy S26 Ultra model numbers, SM-S948U and SM-S948B.
In line with Samsung’s naming conventions, the “U” variant refers to the US carrier model, while the “B” version represents the globally unlocked model.
Both models have a chipset model of SM8850, which is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. This clearly shows that Galaxy S26 Ultra will come with a Snapdragon chipset and not a Samsung Exynos chipset.
Further certifications from China’s 3C authority shed more light on this device. A China-bound model with the name SM-9480 verifies the presence of direct satellite communication capabilities, such as in the case of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The documentation also mentions a major charge speed boost, with wired charge speed increased from 45W to 60W.
Wireless charging will apparently stick with 25W, with whispers of a 0-80% charge in under 30 minutes for a 5,000mAh cell.
Snapdragon processors have traditionally been considered to provide better performance and power management than Exynos chips, although this gap is slowly being bridged in the latest tests.
A launch of the Galaxy S26 series, comprising Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra models, is expected in late January 2026 during a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event.
