Samsung is reportedly reconsidering the Exynos 2700 for the Galaxy S27 Ultra after testing found that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 exceeded temperature limits and throttled under sustained heavy workloads. The report, attributed to industry insiders quoted by Korean publication SEDaily, says Samsung and Qualcomm are still working on a solution.

The issue could force Samsung to decide soon whether the Galaxy S27 Ultra will use Qualcomm’s chip, Samsung’s own Exynos silicon, or a combination of both depending on the market. The Galaxy S27 series is expected to enter mass production toward the end of the year ahead of its traditional February or March launch window.

Snapdragon chip reportedly struggles with sustained heat

According to the report, Samsung discovered the thermal problem while evaluating the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 in the upcoming Ultra model. The chip reportedly passed a temperature threshold during prolonged workloads, causing it to reduce performance through throttling.

The situation has drawn comparisons with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which was also associated with heat and efficiency concerns. However, the report notes that several Chinese smartphone manufacturers using the newer Extreme chip rely on larger vapor chambers than Samsung typically uses. That difference in cooling hardware could help explain why Samsung is seeking a different solution for its own design.

Samsung reportedly gave Qualcomm until the middle of October to address the problem. The latest insider information cited by SEDaily says a fix had not been completed at the time of the report, although the inclusion of Qualcomm’s processor had not been formally canceled.

Exynos 2700 becomes a possible alternative

The thermal concerns have prompted Samsung to reassess the Exynos 2700. Internal testing reportedly gave Samsung’s chip an advantage in multi-core Geekbench performance, with the Exynos processor scoring about 10% higher than the Snapdragon part. The report also suggests that the Exynos 2700 may operate at lower temperatures.

Those results do not necessarily mean Samsung will abandon Qualcomm entirely. One possibility is a familiar regional split, with Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S27 Ultra models sold in some markets and Exynos versions offered elsewhere. The source does not clearly state whether Samsung is considering that approach or an all-Exynos Ultra lineup.

A split is considered more likely because the Ultra is the best-selling model in the Galaxy S series and would require a substantial chipset supply. Samsung may also need Qualcomm if its own production cannot provide enough processors for every market.

What an Exynos Ultra would mean for Samsung

Returning Exynos to the Ultra line would be significant for Samsung’s chip-design division, Samsung LSI. The South Korean market has not received an Exynos-powered Ultra since 2021, while global customers have not seen one since 2022.

Such a move could give Samsung LSI additional revenue and visibility. It could also lower costs for Samsung’s smartphone division because high-end Snapdragon processors are expensive. For now, however, Samsung and Qualcomm are still attempting to resolve the reported thermal issue, and the final Galaxy S27 Ultra chipset strategy remains undecided.