A big question about Samsung's upcoming flagship phone has just been answered. New regulatory filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have confirmed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered by Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon chipset.

For years, Samsung fans have debated whether the company’s highest-end phones would use its own Exynos processor or a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. The FCC listing for model numbers SM-S948B and SM-S948U—which align with the expected S26 Ultra—shows both variants using the "SM8850" component. This number matches the model for Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.

This news will likely please a large part of the Samsung community, where Snapdragon chips have often been perceived as offering stronger raw performance and better heat management compared to Exynos. While recent benchmarks suggest the latest Exynos 2600 chip is highly competitive—even leading in some single-core tests—the multi-core performance and public perception still favor Snapdragon.

It's important to note that this confirmation likely applies to the Ultra model launching in markets like the United States. There's still a possibility that the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+ models could use the Exynos 2600 chip in some regions, potentially as a cost-saving measure.

Beyond just speed, the choice of chipset is crucial for the future of Galaxy AI. As more AI features process data directly on the device, the hardware's specialized AI capabilities will become a key differentiator. How each chipset handles these AI tasks behind the scenes remains to be seen.

Samsung is expected to officially unveil the entire Galaxy S26 series, including the Ultra, at its annual Galaxy Unpacked event in late January 2026. This early confirmation sets the stage for what should be one of the most powerful Android smartphones of the year.