Samsung's next flagship phone, the Galaxy S27 Ultra, is expected to run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, according to a new report, despite earlier claims that overheating concerns could push Samsung towards its own Exynos processor instead.

The report, published by Android Police on 6 November, cites South Korean leaker yeux1122, writing on Naver, and says Samsung will stick with a split-chip approach across the Galaxy S27 range. Under that plan, the Galaxy S27 Ultra would use the top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, while the Galaxy S27 Pro would use the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. The regular Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus, meanwhile, are expected to use Samsung's in-house Exynos 2700 chip.

That picture matches trade-data listings reported earlier in the week. SamMobile reported on 4 November that all four Galaxy S27 models had appeared in the Niubaide import-export database, as spotted by Notebookcheck. The listings name the Galaxy S27 as model SM-S952B/DS with the Exynos 2700, the Galaxy S27 Plus as SM-S956B/DS with the same chip, the Galaxy S27 Pro as SM-S957B/DS with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, and the Galaxy S27 Ultra as SM-S958B/DS with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. SamMobile also reported that all four chips are made using a 2nm process.

The latest report matters because it contradicts an earlier account from the Seoul Economic Daily, which said Samsung was considering dropping Snapdragon for the Exynos 2700 in some markets, including South Korea and Europe. That report said internal testing had shown promising results for the Exynos 2700, while the Snapdragon chip was said to suffer from overheating and poor efficiency. Qualcomm pushed back quickly. Its chief marketing officer, Don McGuire, said on X that the claim was "100% NOT accurate" and added that there were "no systemic thermal issues with the 8 Elite Gen 6."

Cost is reported to be part of Samsung's thinking. Android Police reported that the choice of the Extreme chip for the Ultra is said to come down to cost, because the more powerful processor is also the more expensive one, which is why the Pro would settle for the standard version of the chip. The report also noted that it was not clear whether Samsung would apply the same choices in every market. This year's Galaxy S26 range runs on Snapdragon chips in the United States, while in other markets Snapdragon is reserved for the Ultra.

The leaks also point to bigger batteries and a design change. Android Police reported that a certification listing suggests the Galaxy S27 Ultra will carry a 5,700mAh battery and the Pro a 5,200mAh battery, up from the 5,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S26 Ultra and earlier models. The Ultra and Pro are also said to get a new rectangular camera island on the back, while the standard models keep the familiar floating camera design.

SamMobile's report on the trade listings added further detail, saying the Galaxy S27 will have a 6.3-inch screen, the Galaxy S27 Plus a 6.7-inch display, the Pro a 6.5-inch panel, and the Ultra a 6.9-inch display, matching its predecessor. All four phones are listed with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as standard. That would be a notable change from this year's approach, when Samsung used a single Snapdragon chip across its whole flagship line, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

None of this has been confirmed by Samsung, and the company has not announced the Galaxy S27 series. Leaked listings and leaker reports have been wrong before, and the chipset split could still change before launch. The phones are reportedly due to launch at the end of January or early February 2027, earlier than this year's launch, so buyers may not have long to wait for official confirmation.