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Most pressing Galaxy S26 question gets answered

Only the Galaxy S26 Ultra will get top-tier treatment.

By Anam Hamid

Published: Nov 12, 2025, 9:13 AM

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Galaxy S26 screen protectors. | Image Credit - Ice Universe

According to South Korean outlet ET News, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered exclusively by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus units will use a mix of that chip and Samsung's own Exynos 2600.

Samsung isn't taking chances on the Galaxy S26 Ultra

70 percent of Galaxy S26 models will be underpinned by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and only 30 percent will be equipped with the Exynos 2600.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in all regions. The North American standard and Plus models will also feature Qualcomm's flagship chip, while European and Korean variants will come with the Exynos 2600.

The Exynos 2600 is set to be the first 2nm chip to power smartphones. The Galaxy S25 was entirely underpinned by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, as Samsung's in-house chip reportedly suffered from overheating issues. Those problems have been taken care of, thanks to technologies such as the Heat Pass Block (HPB). This packaging tech places a heat dissipation block on top of the chip to transfer heat away.

The Ultra is Samsung's most premium model and accounts for more than 50 percent of sales. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 allegedly offered better performance and stability, which is why Samsung chose it for the Ultra. It was also selected to improve customer satisfaction, as Qualcomm chips are perceived to be better than those made by System LSI.

The Exynos 2600 is also reportedly facing limited supply due to low manufacturing yields, meaning Samsung couldn't equip all handsets with the home-brewed chip even if it had planned to.

Our assumption for any new Galaxy is always going to be 75%. That is our assumption for Galaxy S26.

Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm, November 2025

So, which chip is better?

Benchmark scores that have surfaced so far suggest the Exynos 2600 will not only outperform the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but also the iPhone 17 Pro Max's A19 Pro. In fact, the latest leak claims it will offer performance comparable to the M5 chip that fuels the iPad Pro.

Benchmark scores are easy to spoof, though, and they only give you an idea of the highest possible performance, not the sustained performance. Besides, if the Exynos 2600 benchmarked above the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it wouldn't make sense for Samsung not to equip at least some Ultra models with it.

That said, Samsung may have simply made this decision based on the perceived superiority of Qualcomm chips among consumers. Either way, potential buyers should take solace in the fact that no matter which variant they get, performance will be snappy.

Should Samsung have equipped all Galaxy S26 models with the Snapdragon chip?

Playing it safe

Using in-house components allows companies to save on costs. It also helps with tighter integration with devices. That's why it's no surprise that Samsung is eager to reintroduce Exynos chips into its lineup.

The company has taken a cautious approach by only equipping a third of Galaxy S26 models with the Exynos 2600.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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