Qualcomm says Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 isn’t overheating, despite Galaxy S27 Ultra rumours

Qualcomm isn’t taking kindly to reports that its next flagship smartphone chip is running too hot for Samsung’s liking. The company has dismissed claims that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is overheating during internal testing for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, calling the reports inaccurate. The denial comes just a day after reports suggested Samsung could ditch Qualcomm’s chip in favour of its own Exynos 2700.

Qualcomm pushes back against overheating claims

Speaking to 9to5Google, a Qualcomm spokesperson directly addressed the reports, saying that recent claims about thermal issues with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 are inaccurate. The company added that it remains proud of its next-generation flagship platform and is working closely with smartphone manufacturers to deliver premium experiences.

That is a fairly clear denial, especially given the timing. The original report from South Korea’s Seoul Economic Daily claimed Samsung had encountered excessive temperatures and performance slowdowns while testing the chip under sustained heavy workloads.

“Recent reporting about thermal issues related to Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is inaccurate. We are proud of the innovation and strong momentum behind our next-generation flagship platform and continue to work closely with global OEMs to deliver premium user experiences.” – Qualcomm spokesperson

Qualcomm’s chief marketing officer, Don McGuire, also pushed back against the allegations on X, saying there were no systemic thermal issues with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and that manufacturers routinely tune their devices to balance performance and power consumption.

That being said, there’s a small but important wrinkle here: McGuire referred to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, rather than explicitly naming the higher-end Extreme variant at the centre of the original report. Qualcomm’s spokesperson did directly address the Extreme chip, but the executive’s separate statement leaves room for questions about the distinction between the two processors. Neither Qualcomm nor Samsung has published test data that independently settles the dispute.

Could Samsung turn to its own Exynos chip instead?

The stakes are fairly high for Samsung. As per the original report, the company had allegedly found that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 exceeded its temperature thresholds during prolonged workloads, causing its performance to drop. That process, known as thermal throttling, is a protective measure that reduces a chip’s speed when temperatures climb too high. If the reported concerns prove genuine, Samsung could consider the Exynos 2700 for the Galaxy S27 Ultra instead. However, neither company has confirmed a processor switch, and the overheating allegations remain disputed.

For Qualcomm, this rumour couldn’t have picked a worse time. Peak performance makes for flashy slides, but keeping a chip cool during marathon gaming sessions is the real test. Qualcomm has denied the claims, but a statement can only do so much. Until independent tests put the Extreme chip through its paces, the heat is on Qualcomm to prove its flagship can walk the talk.

RELATED COVERAGE: