Samsung's 2026 Flagship Lineup Leaks: Galaxy S26 Ultra and Z Fold8 to Share One Global Chip

Samsung's 2026 flagship smartphone roadmap is slowly taking shape. Recently surfaced details reveal what to expect from the next line of Galaxy phones, and things are looking exciting.

This week's Samsung Galaxy S26 leaks reveal the chip supposedly running the phones and a fresh look at the Galaxy lineup next year.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Likely for Galaxy S26 Ultra Worldwide

After months of speculation surrounding the Exynos 2600, new regulatory filings suggest Samsung will lean on Qualcomm silicon for its Ultra line once again, according to an FCC certification shared by The Tech Outlook. This move streamlines the processors used between the S and the Fold series.

The report lists multiple model numbers tied to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Each of the units cites Qualcomm hardware, which all but confirms that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be across Samsung's Galaxy Ultra lineup in all regions.

This contradicts early leaks that Samsung was considering a split-chip strategy, with the Snapdragon used in some regions and the Exynos in others.

Another major giveaway is that the FCC filings also mention Smart Transmit Plus. This is an exclusive feature of Qualcomm's X85 modem, available only in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. In other words, if the feature is listed, the chip is almost certainly present.

What About the Other Galaxy S26 Models?

While the Ultra appears locked in, the FCC filings don't show the chip choices for the standard Galaxy S26 or the S26+. Previous rumours say that the other models will come equipped with the Exynos 2600 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

For now, it seems Samsung will adopt a hybrid approach to non-Ultra models, as it has in the past. The FCC filing also confirms the standard suite of flagship connectivity features:

• Triple-band Wi-Fi 7
• 5G with X85 modem support
• NFC and UWB
• Enhanced uplink performance via Smart Transmit Plus

Nothing groundbreaking here, but what this shows is that Samsung is readying its final hardware for regulatory review, which usually means a reveal is only weeks away.

Z Fold8 and the 2026 Foldable Lineup Could Match the S26 Ultra's Chip

Another interesting implication of the leak is how it aligns with reports about Samsung's foldable strategy for 2026. The rumoured lineup includes:

• Galaxy Z TriFold
• Galaxy Z Fold8 and a possible Fold8 variant
• Galaxy Z Flip8
• Galaxy S26 | S26+ | S26 Ultra

Anthony from The Galox shares a look at Samsung's flagship phones next year. If the leaks are accurate, Samsung isn't going to make a radical overhaul to the overall design of the flagship smartphones.

If Samsung sticks with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for its most premium devices, including the Ultra, it's likely the Z Fold8 will share the same chip globally, too.

Samsung has favoured Qualcomm for its foldables because of the thermals, camera processing, and modem efficiency, and this leak further points to the idea that 2026 won't break that trend.

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 series in January, and sales are likely to follow shortly after. The foldable lineup will likely follow a mid-year Unpacked event just like it has before.