Samsung delays chip decision for Galaxy S27 Ultra

Samsung has not yet finalized the chip for its upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra smartphone, according to an article published on October 16 by Seoul Economic Daily, which cites several industry sources. The South Korean economic daily reported that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, which Qualcomm is targeting for the smartphone, overheats during Samsung's tests.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 unveiled in September

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 was presented by Qualcomm on September 22 during its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. This system on a chip (SoC) is manufactured on 2 nanometers at TSMC and is also one of the first two mobile chips to exceed 5 GHz. Qualcomm designed it for so-called "agentive" AI, where the phone understands the situation and automatically performs multiple tasks.

Thermal issues persist with Qualcomm chip

According to internal tests by Samsung's mobile division, the temperature of the Qualcomm chip would exceed the set thresholds on several occasions when a heavy load is applied. Samsung reportedly sent these results to Qualcomm in September. Since then, the two companies have optimized and retested the chip, but the SoC has not yet reached the required thermal stability.

Thermal throttling limits performance

The problem described has a name, thermal throttling. When a chip overheats, the system reduces its frequency to protect the device. Result: limited performance and potentially high external temperatures. A record score on a benchmark for a few seconds is therefore not worth much if the phone slows down after twenty minutes of gaming or during heavy photo processing.

Exynos 2700 as potential alternative

The Exynos 2700 has arguments, and Samsung has billions at stake. The Exynos 2700 is designed by Samsung's System LSI division. It is manufactured on SF2P, the second generation of Samsung's 2 nanometer process. Equipped with a 10-core processor, it would perform better than the Qualcomm chip on part of the internal tests, according to Seoul Economic Daily.

Samsung faces production challenges

Samsung should therefore push its 2 nanometer lines at its foundry to meet demand, with the risk of not being able to ensure a sufficient stock. Samsung must make a quick decision, as mass production of the Galaxy S27 is set to begin by the end of the year. The lineup is scheduled to launch in early 2027, with the S27, S27+ and S27 Pro, which should switch to the Exynos 2700 in most countries. It is not yet known whether an Exynos-based Ultra would replace the Snapdragon version everywhere or only in certain regions.