Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra May Use Snapdragon Chips in Korea Despite Exynos 2700 Rumours

Samsung’s chipset strategy for its upcoming Galaxy S27 series has reportedly taken another unexpected turn. Despite earlier reports suggesting that the company’s powerful Exynos 2700 could appear across more flagship models, a new leak claims that the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra will use Snapdragon processors even in Samsung’s home market, South Korea.

The latest information comes from South Korean tipster yeux1122, who suggests that Samsung is planning to retain Qualcomm chipsets for its two most expensive Galaxy S27 models. Interestingly, this decision is reportedly driven by cost considerations rather than a lack of performance from Samsung’s upcoming Exynos processor.

The development is particularly surprising because previous reports claimed that the Exynos 2700 had performed better than its Snapdragon counterpart in Samsung’s internal testing.

If the latest information proves accurate, Samsung could introduce a four-model Galaxy S27 lineup with three different processors, creating a more complicated chipset strategy than previous generations.

Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra Could Use Snapdragon in South Korea

According to the latest leak, Samsung is expected to equip the Korean versions of the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra with Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon processors.

The reported configurations are:

• Galaxy S27 Pro: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
• Galaxy S27 Ultra: Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

This is significant because Samsung has traditionally used its own Exynos processors in several Galaxy S models sold in South Korea, while Snapdragon variants have been available in markets such as the United States.

The latest rumour suggests that Samsung could reverse that approach for its two premium models.

The standard Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27+ are still expected to use the Exynos 2700 in South Korea and several other markets.

However, the chipset allocation remains unconfirmed, and Samsung has not officially announced the Galaxy S27 series.

Exynos 2700 Reportedly Performs Better in Internal Testing

One of the most interesting aspects of this development is the reported performance of Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2700.

Earlier leaks suggested that the chipset had delivered promising results during internal testing, reportedly achieving approximately 10% higher multi-core Geekbench performance than its Snapdragon counterpart.

If accurate, this would represent an encouraging development for Samsung’s semiconductor division.

The Exynos 2700 is expected to be manufactured using Samsung Foundry’s second-generation 2nm process, known as SF2P.

The new manufacturing technology is expected to bring improvements in performance and power efficiency compared with previous generations.

Samsung has been working to strengthen its in-house processor technology, particularly after facing criticism over the performance, thermal management and efficiency of some earlier Exynos chips.

However, benchmark results alone do not determine the overall smartphone experience. Real-world performance, sustained workloads, battery consumption, thermal management and software optimisation are equally important.

Despite the reported benchmark advantage, the latest leak suggests that Samsung may still prefer Qualcomm processors for its most expensive flagship models.

Cost Reduction Could Be Behind Samsung’s Snapdragon Decision

The latest report suggests that Samsung’s decision is connected to its broader efforts to reduce component costs.

Developing and manufacturing flagship smartphones involves several expensive components, including processors, memory, camera sensors and display panels.

Samsung reportedly wants to optimise its component selection and overall production costs for the upcoming Galaxy S27 lineup.

Using Snapdragon processors for the Pro and Ultra models in South Korea could be part of this strategy, although the exact financial reasoning has not been independently confirmed.

It is also possible that processor availability, manufacturing capacity and supply agreements could influence the final decision.

Samsung has not commented on the reported chipset strategy, so the financial explanation should be treated as part of the current leak rather than an established company decision.

Galaxy S27 Series Could Feature Three Different Processors

If the latest reports are accurate, Samsung could use three different chipsets across its four upcoming flagship smartphones.

The expected configuration looks like this:

The standard and Plus models are expected to receive Samsung’s in-house processor in most regions, while the Pro and Ultra could use Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon chips.

There may still be regional differences. Earlier reports suggested that the standard Galaxy S27 and S27+ could receive Snapdragon processors in North America and selected other markets.

The Pro and Ultra, meanwhile, are tipped to retain Snapdragon processors across more regions, including South Korea.

This would give Samsung a more clearly differentiated processor strategy, with the most powerful Qualcomm chipset reserved for the Ultra model.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 Could Power the Galaxy S27 Ultra

The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to receive Qualcomm’s highest-tier processor for the next generation.

The chipset is reportedly known internally by the model number SM8975 and is expected to be marketed as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

The Galaxy S27 Pro, meanwhile, is associated with the SM8950, which is expected to carry the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 branding.

This distinction could allow Samsung to create a clearer performance gap between the Pro and Ultra models.

The Extreme version is expected to offer higher performance capabilities, potentially benefiting demanding games, advanced camera processing and intensive multitasking.

However, Qualcomm has not officially announced these processors or confirmed their final specifications.

Their performance, power consumption and manufacturing details remain unknown.

Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra Expected Specifications

Earlier appearances in the NBD trade database have also revealed some details about the expected hardware configurations of the Galaxy S27 lineup.

According to those listings, the European variants could feature the following specifications:

The Galaxy S27 Pro is expected to sit between the standard Galaxy S27+ and the Ultra in terms of display size and positioning.

The Ultra will remain the top-end model, potentially offering Samsung’s most advanced camera hardware and other premium features.

However, these details are based on early database listings and leaks. Samsung has not confirmed the specifications.

What About the Standard Galaxy S27 and S27+?

While the Pro and Ultra models are expected to use Snapdragon processors, the standard Galaxy S27 and S27+ could rely on Samsung’s Exynos 2700.

The European variants have reportedly appeared in trade database listings with the Exynos chipset.

The standard Galaxy S27 is tipped to feature a 6.3-inch display, while the Galaxy S27+ could offer a larger 6.7-inch panel.

Both models are also expected to start with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, according to the reported listings.

This approach would allow Samsung to use its own processor across more affordable flagship models while reserving Qualcomm’s premium silicon for the higher-end devices.

It could also help the company expand the commercial use of its Exynos technology.

However, the final regional configurations could differ when the phones officially launch.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Series Expected Launch Timeline

Samsung has not officially announced the Galaxy S27 lineup or confirmed its launch date.

Based on the company’s previous flagship release schedule, the Galaxy S27, S27+, S27 Pro and S27 Ultra are expected to debut in early 2027.

The addition of a Pro model would also make this generation particularly interesting, as Samsung could expand its traditional three-device flagship lineup to four smartphones.

More information about the processors, cameras, displays and battery capacities is expected to emerge through additional leaks and certifications before the official announcement.

Indian availability and pricing have not been confirmed either.

Final Thoughts

Samsung’s reported decision to use Snapdragon processors for the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra in South Korea adds another twist to the upcoming flagship lineup.

The move is particularly interesting because the Exynos 2700 is reportedly performing well in internal testing, potentially even outperforming its Snapdragon counterpart in certain benchmarks.

However, the latest leak suggests that cost considerations could influence Samsung’s final processor selection more than benchmark performance alone.

If the reports prove accurate, the Galaxy S27 and S27+ could use Exynos 2700 processors in most markets, while the Pro and Ultra models receive different Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series chipsets.

Samsung has yet to confirm any of these details, so the final chipset strategy could still change before launch.

For now, the biggest question is whether Samsung will continue expanding its Exynos lineup or reserve Qualcomm’s most powerful processors for its premium Galaxy flagships.