Samsung's Galaxy S27 Pro may not feature Qualcomm's most powerful processor, with the company's chip allocation strategy potentially varying between markets.

As the Galaxy S27 series is expected to launch in the coming months, speculation about the processors powering Samsung's next generation of flagship smartphones is attracting growing attention.

Earlier rumors suggested that the Galaxy S27 Ultra might not use Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon chip because of overheating concerns. However, those claims have since been dismissed.

A new leak has now raised another possibility, this time involving the Galaxy S27 Pro, a model expected to sit between the Galaxy S27 Plus and Galaxy S27 Ultra in Samsung's upcoming lineup.

Galaxy S27 Pro may use standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6

According to information from the NBD import-export database, spotted by technology publication Notebookcheck, Samsung could equip the Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra with two different versions of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor.

The leaked data suggests that the Galaxy S27 Pro will feature the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Galaxy S27 Ultra will receive the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

The information reportedly concerns international dual-SIM variants of all four Galaxy S27 models.

These versions are typically distributed in European markets, meaning devices sold in the United States and other regions could feature different processors.

If accurate, the leak suggests Samsung intends to establish a clearer performance hierarchy between its two most premium smartphones.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra would benefit from Qualcomm's most powerful chipset, while the Galaxy S27 Pro would face certain limitations in processing performance.

The main differences between the two Snapdragon variants are expected to involve CPU, GPU and NPU performance.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is expected to deliver greater processing power, particularly for graphics-intensive applications, artificial intelligence tasks and video recording.

One of the most notable differences could involve video capabilities.

The Extreme version is rumored to support 8K video recording at 60 frames per second and 4K slow-motion recording at 240 frames per second.

By comparison, the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is reportedly limited to 8K recording at 30 frames per second and 4K slow-motion video at 120 frames per second.

This would mean the Galaxy S27 Pro could still deliver impressive flagship-level performance but fall short of the maximum capabilities reserved for the Ultra model.

Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus may continue using Exynos 2700

While Samsung's two highest-end models are rumored to use Snapdragon processors, the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus have reportedly appeared in the database with Samsung's own Exynos 2700 chipset.

This would not be particularly surprising.

For years, Samsung has frequently equipped standard and Plus variants of its Galaxy S smartphones with Exynos processors in many international markets, while offering Snapdragon-powered versions in selected regions.

However, the latest leaked data does not necessarily reflect Samsung's complete global hardware strategy.

In particular, the company may continue using Snapdragon processors for Galaxy S27 models sold in the United States.

Previous rumors suggested that the Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27 Plus in the US could feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Extreme variant would remain exclusive to the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

This potential processor segmentation strategy has generated mixed reactions among smartphone enthusiasts.

Some Reddit users believe the Galaxy S27 Ultra could become the only model in the lineup that truly deserves the designation of Samsung's ultimate flagship.

Others have expressed disappointment, as the Galaxy S27 Pro was expected to offer an experience close to that of the Ultra at a more accessible price.

Hai Phong