Core Insights - Samsung is expected to use Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in 75% of its Galaxy S26 models, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra exclusively featuring this Qualcomm flagship SoC in all markets [2] - Samsung's chip expenditure reached approximately $9 billion in 2023, driven by rising costs from Qualcomm's next-generation processes and self-developed CPU cores [2] - The price of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is around $280 per unit, leading Samsung to increase the price of Galaxy S26 Ultra, as Exynos 2600 will only cover the remaining models [2] Group 1 - Samsung's continued procurement of Qualcomm chips is influenced by a contractual obligation that could incur significant penalties if terminated early [3] - The low yield of Exynos 2600 complicates Samsung's situation, making its reliance on Qualcomm a "double-edged sword" [3] - Qualcomm's aggressive business strategy has drawn criticism for being "greedy," as it charges high fees for 5G modem licenses and related patent royalties, pushing companies like Apple to develop their own chips [3] Group 2 - Apple's licensing agreement with Qualcomm for modems is set to expire in March 2027, suggesting that Samsung may have a similar long-term agreement [4] - The reality is that Samsung's self-sufficiency in chip production is not its strong suit, allowing companies like Qualcomm to expand their influence [4]