Unsurprisingly, Samsung will keep using Qualcomm’s chips another year. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been confirmed to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing has popped up and reveals key specifications and wireless capabilities for the upcoming phone. Here's everything we know.
Samsung ditches Exynos for Snapdragon yet again
The FCC certification for Samsung's phones lists two models with the numbers SM-S948B and SM-S948U. The first one hints at a global or international variant, usually sold in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and other non-US markets.
It supports international 5G/LTE bands and uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 globally, which has been confirmed by chipset ID SM8850 in the FCC report.
Rumors before now pointed to Samsung using their own Exynos 2600 chip instead. Leaked benchmark scores revealed that the in-processor is better than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and even comparable to the Apple M5.
But the benchmark cannot be verified yet. Regardless, this year's Galaxy S25 phones use the previous Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. Using either chip is still an upgrade.
The second phone model in the documentation is a United States carrier variant. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular, and more likely sell it. It supports the US-specific 5G bands, including millimeter-wave on some carrier versions. It carries the same Snapdragon chipset.
Related: Samsung Officially Announces Galaxy Z TriFold We Thought Would Never Happen
Faster charging expected, with a February release
Before any phone can be sold in the United States, Samsung must submit it to the FCC for testing. The released documents prove that the device meets radiation (SAR) limits, uses wireless radios legally, doesn’t interfere with other signals, and has compliant NFC and UWB systems.
The document lists all wireless technologies supported and shows diagrams of antenna placement. We also see that the device enables Qualcomm Smart Transmit Plus, which dynamically controls antenna power and helps to maintain faster 5G speeds while staying under safety thresholds, among other capabilities.
That aside, a black 60W charger adapter has appeared on Samsung's website. It suggests the S26 Ultra supports faster charging than the S25 Ultra’s 45W speed. Even though the 5,000mAh hasn't changed, top-up is quicker.
Other than that, expect a 6.9-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate and 2600nits brightness, and Android 16 with seven years of software support. Memory options include 256GB + 12GB RAM, 512GB + 12GB RAM, 1TB + 12GB RAM, and 1TB + 16GB RAM. Camera specifications include a 200MP wide main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera. The selfie lens is a 12MP Sony IMX874 camera.
The Galaxy S26 series may launch in early 2026. But Samsung’s timeline looks slightly later than usual this cycle. Reports originally hinted at a late-January Unpacked event, but newer leaks from South Korea suggest Samsung may push the reveal into late February instead.
Internal changes, including the possibly cancelled S26 Edge and last-minute lineup adjustments, reportedly caused minor delays. Right now, the most reliable date floating around is February 25, 2026, which lands on a Wednesday. It's Samsung’s traditional announcement day.
