Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price hike may be surpassed by S26 Ultra
Samsung is preparing to introduce the Galaxy S25 series early next year. The Galaxy S26 series could be launched in early 2026, and Samsung may be unable to freeze the Ultra model’s price due to the next Qualcomm chip.
According to Jukanlosreve, Qualcomm may increase the price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite successor. The company recently launched the new Snapdragon chip fabricated using a 3 nm process which is expected to power the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The leaker suggests that the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite may get a significant price increase. This would force Samsung to increase the price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Qualcomm has also raised the Snapdragon 8 Elite price, significantly, compared to the 8 Gen 3. However, the price increment offers exceptional outcomes – robust performance and efficiency.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to be priced $100 higher than the S24 Ultra. If the rumor materializes, the S25 Ultra may start at $1399 – a full $200 costlier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Why Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may be pricier?
Qualcomm invests a massive fund in research and development. This year marks the debut of its in-house Oryon CPU cores. The fabrication process also impacts the overall pricing, as the shift to 3nm already boosted the price significantly.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may be produced using the 3nm process, but “various internal and external factors” may lead to a significant price hike. It is said that Qualcomm has sent notifications to suppliers and negotiations have begun.
Given Qualcomm’s price hike, suppliers of related components may also desire to make increased profits. Either supplier would also raise the prices of components or Qualcomm’s negotiations may freeze the costs of components – at best.
At present, we are awaiting the Galaxy S25 Ultra launch which could happen in late January next year. We are over a year away from the tentative unveiling of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, hence, it’s advised to take this info as a pinch of salt.
