Samsung may reserve top Qualcomm silicon for the Galaxy S27 Ultra while giving the Pro a lower-tier chip

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S27 flagship lineup has surfaced in the NBD import-export database, detailing four distinct models expected early next year. While the premium Galaxy S27 Ultra is slated to use Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor, the newly added Galaxy S27 Pro is listed with the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. The base Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus are shown running Samsung's in-house Exynos 2700 chipset. [1][2]

Both Qualcomm processors are manufactured on a 2nm architecture, but the Extreme variant provides faster clock speeds reaching up to 5GHz, superior computing and neural capabilities, and 8K video capture at 60 frames per second compared to the standard chip's 30 frames per second cap. Dimension leaks show the Galaxy S27 Pro bridging the lineup with a 6.5-inch screen, slotting between the 6.3-inch base model, the 6.7-inch Plus, and the 6.9-inch Ultra. Leaked dummy units also indicate the Ultra will retain its built-in S Pen while adopting a horizontal camera bar. [1][2]

The hardware division suggests Samsung could be leveraging the lower-clocked processor to control device thermals in a compact frame or curb manufacturing costs. However, missing out on Qualcomm's fastest silicon may curb enthusiasm among buyers who hoped the mid-sized Pro would match the flagship Ultra's raw performance. [1][2]