Overview
- Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy will power Samsung’s new foldables including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Fold 8 with the Z Flip 8 getting Snapdragon only in select regions.
- Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are the company’s first smartwatches to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite for more advanced on-device health tracking.
- Qualcomm, Samsung, and Google expanded the Android XR push with Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 powering smart eyewear designs shown with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker and broader XR rollouts planned through the fall and into 2026.
- The expanded pact, announced July 22, 2026, frames a single Snapdragon backbone across phones, watches, and glasses to enable local AI processing but real-world reviews will be needed to verify claims about battery life, privacy, and seamless cross-device AI.
- The deal strengthens Qualcomm’s recurring chip revenue and could help Samsung Foundry get more orders while also reflecting pressure from vertically integrated rivals and ongoing questions about Samsung’s regional use of Exynos chips.