The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the next big thing on the horizon, but its pre-order and early sales figures face real risks. Samsung only has itself to blame.
As per rumors, the maxed-out flagship could arrive with either the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, or the Exynos 2600, depending on the market it's going to be sold in.
In recent years, Galaxy S Ultra models traditionally have arrived with Snapdragon silicon on board. This made people really happy, since Exynos chipsets struggled against their Snapdragon counterparts in terms of raw power, efficiency and cooling.
Now, Samsung may have a really cool and powerful Exynos 2600 on its hands, but, trouble is, people are not buying the idea so far.
What the poll numbers say
We asked you how you feel about the Galaxy S26 Ultra adopting an Exynos 2600, and the results of our PhoneArena poll should cause some mild panic at Samsung's headquarters:
Image by PhoneArena
Almost half of respondents said they'll wait for the Galaxy S26 Ultra in-depth reviews to drop. A quarter of you say the Snapdragon is a must, while 28% are already hooked on the Exynos 2600 idea.
That's not the end of the world, as many people could actually get the Ultra later. But the pre-order number could look very different from that of previous Galaxy S Ultra models. Initial sales are very important for every company.
What the benchmark numbers say
A render of the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Samsung is preparing the return of Exynos to the Ultra lineup for the first time since the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022. Past Exynos chips were slower, prone to overheating, and hampered by Samsung Foundry's production issues, but the new Exynos 2600 is rumored to change that.
Built on a 2 nm process, Exynos 2600 could offer major performance gains over both Apple's A19 Pro and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, excelling in AI, multi-core, and graphics tasks.
The latest benchmarks for the Exynos 2600 show even stronger performance than before, suggesting Samsung has made last-minute improvements ahead of launch.
The Exynos 2600 now posts a single-core score of 3,455 and multi-core of 11,621, outperforming the Snapdragon 8 Elite's previous widely cited scores of 2,865 and 9,487, though the latest Geekbench run for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 shows 3,834 single-core and 12,396 multi-core.
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In reality, Exynos 2600 could be just as fast and potent as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: but it's down to how well it deals with high temperatures and battery efficiency.
People don't want to spend money blindly
Despite the fact that there are some who walk and simply buy the latest and greatest phone out there, the majority of people are being really careful with spending a four-figure sum on a phone. After all, we have to be sure what we're buying is worth it, and then some, since we're talking about flagships.
Nobody wants a flagship that overheats or drains the battery in no time, even if the overall experience is fast and responsive.
That's why I wish Samsung's marketing team good luck in trying to convince the public of how potent the Exynos 2600 – they'll need it.
Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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