Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to Use Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Globally, FCC Reveals

Exynos chipset is back in the picture for the Galaxy S26 series. It’s possible we’ll see a mixed stock with some regions getting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and others welcoming the Exynos 2600 variants. For those hoping to see an all-Snapdragon stock for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, we have some good news.

We had heard rumors that Samsung will only push the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip to the Ultra device next year, no matter the region. Exynos 2600 is out of the question for their Galaxy S26 Ultra. This is no longer a rumor, folks. There is now proof. 

FCC just certified all three Galaxy S26 models, and the database has confirmed earlier speculations. Galaxy S26 Ultra, in the US and other international markets, will have the SM8850 SoC. That’s the serial code for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. 

You have to look closely at the FCC ID part in the table. SM-S948 “B” is usually the model number for international variants, and the other code ending with U is the US version. You can see that both have the same SM8850 SoC. That confirms Samsung latest Ultra mobile only ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 globally.

It’s a different story for the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, though. Samsung may deploy Exynos 2600 variants for each phone, but only in the home market. Outside South Korea, though, every other country will receive the same SM8850 chip on S26 and S26 Plus. 

FCC has certified these phones, which means the Galaxy S26 series will launch soon. They will show up in a month or so. The January schedule is a possibility, but we don’t want to color your opinions just yet. There’s still time enough for more leaks and certifications. Keep watching the news for updates.