Galaxy S27 Ultra may cost more if it uses Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro

Last month, Qualcomm hinted that Samsung’s next flagship non-foldable smartphone, the Galaxy S27 Ultra, could feature the company’s upcoming flagship mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. If that happens, however, Samsung may have to launch the device at a higher price than the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

According to tipster Abhishek Yadav on X, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could cost more than $300 per unit, making it around 7% to 25% more expensive than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the SoC that the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses, which reportedly costs between $240 and $280. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the Galaxy S27 Ultra could increase noticeably compared to the current model.

If Samsung wants to keep the Galaxy S27 Ultra at the same price as the current model, it may have to reduce its profit margins. Otherwise, the company could end up launching the phone at a higher price than its predecessor, which may disappoint prospective buyers.

That said, price hikes for next-generation flagship chipsets are not unusual. Qualcomm’s latest premium processors typically deliver major performance and efficiency improvements while adopting newer and more advanced fabrication technologies, which are often more expensive to produce. However, the expected increase in cost this time appears to be more substantial than usual.