Samsung has reportedly placed Qualcomm on a strict mid-month deadline to fix thermal throttling (overheating) issues in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor intended for the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Internal performance checks conducted by MX Division revealed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 breached heat threshold limits under sustained workloads, triggering sharp drops in processing speeds.

The issue poses a direct threat to the phone’s core selling point, which relies heavily on power-hungry on-device AI tasks and intensive multi-frame camera processing, as reported by Korean outlet SEDaily.

If Qualcomm fails, Exynos could return

If Qualcomm fails to stabilize thermal management before the production timeline locks in, Samsung is prepared to drop the Snapdragon chip in favor of its in-house Exynos 2700 for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

Built on the foundry business’s second-generation 2-nanometer process (SF2P), the Exynos 2700 offers a viable alternative that could secure the late-year mass production schedule.

Swapping to native silicon would mark a dramatic shift in strategy, representing the first time an Exynos processor has powered an Ultra flagship since the Galaxy S22 Ultra five years ago.

Mobile AP procurement expenditures surged past 13.8 trillion won last year, putting immense pressure on MX executive leadership to justify paying top dollar for third-party silicon.

While both engineering teams are actively collaborating to patch the thermal profile, the clock is ticking.

Taking back the Ultra line would yield massive structural benefits for Samsung, boosting foundry utilization at a critical time and reclaiming pricing leverage from Qualcomm, but the engineering team cannot afford a repeat of past thermal missteps.

On October 16, Samsung officially announced that TIME selected the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor as its “Best Inventions of 2026.”

TIME named the Galaxy S26 Ultra in the Consumer Electronics category, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator in the Home Appliances category, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor in the Entertainment & Gaming category.

Notably, TIME highlighted the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display feature as its key strength. The flagship phone introduces top-notch performance and an exceptional camera setup as well.

Selected by TIME’s global network of expert contributors and editors, Best Inventions recognizes the year’s most significant new products and ideas, evaluated on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

Two other Samsung products also made this year’s list: the Bespoke AI Family Hub Refrigerator with AI Vision and the Odyssey G8 Gaming Monitor (G80HS).

The Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator was recognized for the innovation of its “AI Vision” feature, which automatically identifies and manages ingredients using an internal camera.

Samsung explained that the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor received high marks for being the first to support 6K resolution, delivering detailed image quality and visual immersion.

TIME previously selected the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in 2021, the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022, and the Galaxy Z Flip5 in 2023. In 2024, it named the Neo QLED 8K and the Music Frame speaker, followed by the Micro RGB TV, The Frame Pro, and The Premiere 5 in 2025.

BAFTA has launched the second series of BAFTA Playback sponsored by Samsung. It is a digital series that takes viewers behind the scenes of some of the biggest names in film and television.

The six-part series features popular actors Alexander Skarsgård, Olivia Colman, Jesse Eisenberg, Mahershala Ali, Pedro Pascal and Tom Hiddleston. The actors share stories about important moments in their careers, their favourite scenes and the people and films that inspired them.

The first episode features Tom Hiddleston talking about his latest film, Tenzing. He shares his experience of filming on a real mountain and recalls a dangerous moment. He also talks about how playing Loki changed his life and mentions films that influenced him, including Heat, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Mary Poppins.

Image via Samsung

Each episode is filmed in a specially designed lounge featuring personal items and memories from the actor’s career. The actors watch selected scenes on a Samsung TV and share the stories behind them.

Emma Baehr, BAFTA’s Executive Director of Awards and Content, said the series celebrates the people and skills behind film and television. Zeena Hill of Samsung Electronics UK said the series helps viewers understand the creative process and the stories behind memorable performances.

Full episodes will be available on BAFTA’s YouTube channel. Short clips will also be shared on BAFTA and Samsung’s Instagram, TikTok and Facebook pages.

Samsung has reportedly reduced its phone production target for the fourth quarter of the year, and a new industry report reveals that AI memory isn’t the only reason behind the unexpected squeeze in the company’s mobile ambitions.

As semiconductor giant Nittobo pivots its glass fiber yarn production toward T-Glass to feed the ongoing AI boom, supply for the E-Glass used in conventional phone circuit boards has tightened dramatically.

Paired with memory prices that refuse to cool down, Samsung is stuck in a spot where cranking out more budget and mid-range devices actively erodes profitability, according to ZDNet,

Slashing component orders for the fourth quarter isn’t just about managing inventory; it’s a defensive play to shield margins when shipping millions of lower-priced units simply doesn’t pay off.

The broader fallout is already rippling through the supply chain. Component partners haven’t even received Samsung’s 2027 MX business plan yet, leaving supplier roadmaps in limbo.

Meanwhile, expects Samsung will lean far harder into its premium lineup, such as the Galaxy S27 series and next-gen foldables, where higher margins can actually absorb these relentless raw material spikes.

Mid-range phones built the volume that made Samsung a global giant, but in a market where AI chips eat up the raw manufacturing capacity, lower-tier hardware might keep taking the hit.

When Samsung slashes its production targets, the knee-jerk reaction is usually to blame softening consumer demand or the skyrocketing costs of mobile memory.

Meanwhile, the real story behind the latest Galaxy A series cuts goes deeper into the supply chain, down to a humble component material called E-Glass.

Apple’s recent unveiling of the iPhone Duo has triggered an unexpected search spike in Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Active Google searches for Samsung foldables have shot up by an astounding 300% over the past month.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 sees 300% search spike

Richard Chang, Corporate Vice President for Mobile at Samsung U.K. and Ireland, confirmed (via Forbes) that customer demand for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 family has jumped 16% since its launch.

As consumers await the official retail release of the iPhone Duo on October 23, prospective buyers are aggressively cross-shopping, and many are landing straight on Samsung’s doorstep.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 debuted in early August, sporting a passport-inspired aspect ratio that feels far more natural in the hand than the tall, narrow silhouettes of previous generations.

Hubert Lee, Samsung’s Design Head, previously revealed that his team studied familiar daily objects like passports to nail the one-handed ergonomics. That design pivot paid off, giving the Z Fold 8 a remarkably mature, ultra-thin profile.

It seems a good chunk of this search surge comes from long-time Android users who were intrigued by Apple’s hardware reveal but ultimately refused to cross the iOS fence.

When Apple adopts a new form factor, it signals to mainstream consumers that the tech is no longer an experiment. But for buyers comfortable with Android, Samsung represents the mature alternative with eight years of real-world experience.

Apple entering the arena is the best thing that could have happened to the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Competition breeds urgency, and right now, Samsung’s market leadership looks like a well-earned head start.