Samsung's next top phones may use Qualcomm chips despite heat rumors

Samsung's next top Galaxy phones may use Qualcomm chips after all. A South Korean leaker says the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro will run on Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon processors. That goes against earlier talk that Samsung might switch to its own chips because of overheating worries. The phones are reportedly due in late January or early February 2027.

What the leak says

The leaker, known as yeux1122, posted on the Korean outlet Naver. The report was passed along by SamMobile. It says Samsung will keep splitting its lineup between two chip makers. The Ultra would get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The Pro would get the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. The base S27 and S27 Plus are expected to use Samsung's own Exynos 2700.

Cost is said to be the reason for the split. The Extreme chip is more powerful and also more expensive than the standard one.

The overheating question

A Seoul Economic Daily report said Samsung was weighing the Exynos 2700 in some markets, including South Korea and Europe. It claimed internal tests favored Exynos, while the Snapdragon chip had overheating problems. Qualcomm pushed back fast. Its chief marketing officer, Don McGuire, wrote on X that the claim is "100% NOT accurate." He added that there are no systemic thermal issues with the chip.

The new leak does not settle this for every region. It is not clear whether Samsung will make the same choices outside South Korea. For comparison, the Galaxy S26 line uses only Snapdragon chips in the US. In most other places, Snapdragon is reserved for the Ultra.

Bigger batteries and a new look

A certification listing also points to larger batteries. The S27 Ultra is listed at 5700mAh and the Pro at 5200mAh. The Galaxy S26 Ultra and earlier models topped out at 5000mAh. The mAh number is a rough measure of battery size, and more is usually better, though real battery life also depends on the chip and the screen.

• Ultra and Pro: reportedly a rectangular camera island on the back
• Base and Plus: the familiar floating camera design
• Launch: end of January or early February 2027, earlier than this year

What to keep in mind

These are leaks and rumors, not Samsung announcements. Chip plans can differ by country, and the report does not say which version buyers in each market will get. If you plan to buy a Galaxy flagship in early 2027, it is worth waiting for Samsung's official details before deciding.