Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could U-turn on one key spec – and that's a good thing

The top Android phone could have a killer processor

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

When you're looking at the best Android phones on the market, you'll almost definitely come across Samsung. The Korean brand has been a household name for years, offering top specs and familiar software across their range.

Now, sights are firmly focused on their next range. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to launch early in the new year, and rumours about the devices have been coming out thick and fast.

Chief among them is news of the processor in use. When it was unveiled, the current Samsung Galaxy S23 series was hailed for using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset in all markets. But rumours have suggested that wont be the case this time out. Instead, the brand are said to be reverting to an in-house Exynos chipset.

Well, that's now being refuted again – at least for one model. According to respected tech tipster, Tech_Reve, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will utilise Snapdragon processors, regardless of the region it's sold in.

That could prove to be a big deal. While the Exynos chipset said to be used here is not the same as those of old, the legacy of those chips remains. A single year away hasn't been long enough to remove the bad taste left in the mouths of users, who had to make do with sub-par performance.

The specific mention of the Ultra model is important here too. It's entirely possible that the range could be split, with the lower tier devices receiving a different chip to the top-spec model. That system has been in effect on the iPhone range of late, with the iPhone 14 Plus and standard models having an older chip than the iPhone 14 Pro models.

Although we haven't seen it in use on Samsung phones yet, it's an entirely plausible prospect. It would create a distinct reason for users to opt for the higher priced, higher spec model, by offering a performance boost.

The wording also doesn't specify exactly which processor could be in use. While we'd expect that to be the as-yet-unreleased Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, rumours have suggested that some manufacturers may opt away from it due to cost. That's unlikely to include Samsung, but it's worth keeping an eye out for. 

With around five months still to go until the device is expected to hit market, it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt for now. A lot can change in that time, which could mean changes to the hardware in use on the device. For now, then, we can only hope this one proves true in the new year.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.