According to Modezone.com, citing SamMobile, two mysterious new Samsung devices with model numbers SM-948B and SM-948U have passed FCC certification and are believed to be the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship phone.

The certification documents clearly show that both devices are equipped with the Qualcomm SM8850 chipset, which corresponds to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (Qualcomm’s fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 flagship chip).

According to Samsung’s usual naming conventions, the SM-948B model is likely the global version, while the SM-948U is the carrier-specific version for the US market. Based on this FCC information, Samsung appears to be equipping the Galaxy S26 Ultra with a Qualcomm chipset worldwide.

Earlier reporting referenced by Modezone.com also suggests that the Exynos 2600 chip for the Galaxy S26 series may be limited to the South Korean market, while other regions will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Industry analysis has attributed the limited global rollout of Exynos chips to issues such as kernel security vulnerabilities, significant overheating, and low production yields, which have undermined Samsung’s confidence in using Exynos globally. This has led both consumers and carriers to prefer the more stable Snapdragon solution.

Additionally, there are reports that Samsung and Qualcomm have a long-term agreement requiring that 75% of Galaxy S series flagship shipments use Qualcomm chips. Even if the Exynos 2600 were flawless, it would be challenging to deploy widely without risking penalties for breaching the agreement, making Exynos’s global comeback challenging.

The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.