The Samsung Galaxy S25 could be enormously powerful – but nothing compared to the S26
- A leak suggests the next top Snapdragon chipset could be at least 20% more powerful than the current one
- However it could also cost a lot more
- This chipset is likely to be used in the Samsung Galaxy S26
All signs point to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series being tremendously powerful, thanks in large part to these phones likely using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. But while the Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers true laptop-level power, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 could be substantially more powerful again.
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Leaker Digital Chat Station (via NotebookCheck) has claimed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will be at least 20% more powerful than the current chipset, while still being energy efficient.
And while we don’t yet know for sure which phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, based on past form we can be almost certain that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will, and it’s very likely that the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S26 line will as well, at least in some parts of the world. Beyond those phones, numerous other high-end 2026 Androids are also likely to use it.
An expensive upgrade
However, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 could also come with a downside, as leaker @Jukanlosreve has claimed that its price is set to “increase significantly” relative to the first-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite. And if it does cost more, then that could mean the phones that use it will also cost more.
Qualcomm is expected to significantly raise the unit price of the 8 Elite 2nd Generation AP, just as it did this year.Key points:•Due to various internal and external factors, the price of the 8 Elite 2nd Gen is set to increase significantly.•Notifications have been sent to…December 2, 2024
The first-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite is itself thought to costing phone manufacturers a lot more than the previous-generation chipset, which could lead to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and other upcoming handsets costing more than their predecessors – and if this latest leak is accurate then we could be in for at least two years of price rises in a row.
That would be unfortunate, even if it does allow for enormously powerful devices, but it’s worth remembering that these are extremely early leaks. The first-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite was only announced back in October, and hardly any phones even use that yet, so we’re still probably almost a year away from seeing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.
As such, we’d take these leaks with a pinch of salt, as even if they reflect Qualcomm’s current plans and goals a lot could change in the next year.
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James Rogerson
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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.
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