The Galaxy S26 series may still feature a Samsung-made version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip, according to a new leak that sheds fresh light on the chipset strategy for Samsung’s 2026 flagships.
On July 23, tipster Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo that the SM8850s — the variant of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 manufactured by Samsung Foundry — remains in contention for the S26 lineup. This contradicts earlier reports that the chip had been shelved due to yield issues with Samsung’s 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) process. However, this latest leak claims Samsung is still working to improve its yields ahead of Q1 2026.
The Samsung-made version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 reportedly costs less to produce, which could help Samsung keep pricing stable — particularly for the Ultra, which is expected to stick close to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s $1,219 launch price.
It’s unclear whether the Samsung-made chip will carry the usual “Snapdragon for Galaxy” branding. That label might be dropped if Chinese smartphone makers end up using the same Samsung-made chip in some models. However, this wouldn’t be a repeat of what happened with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Snapdragon 888. In 2026, Chinese brands will have the option to stick with the more expensive TSMC-made version, as performance and power efficiency remain top priorities for them.
As for the Galaxy S26 lineup, the Samsung-made Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is expected to strike a middle ground between the base model’s Exynos 2600 (also built on Samsung’s 2nm process) and the TSMC-made Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 that smartphone makers from China are expected to use. For Samsung users, this mirrors the Galaxy S22 series, where different regions received either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the Exynos 2200—both offering comparable performance and efficiency.
Stay tuned as more details emerge closer to the expected Galaxy S26 launch in early 2026.
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