Samsung Galaxy S26 series: Exynos 2600 faster than Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
According to a new tip from the semiconductor industry, the Samsung Exynos 2600 will offer massive performance increases in the GPU and NPU. Apparently, the upgrades are so significant that Samsung is showing the taillights of both Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s A19 Pro. If this is true, the Exynos 2600 could be installed in all Samsung Galaxy S26 models, not just the base model, as initially suspected.
This exact assumption is part of a second tip from well-known leakster Ice Universe. However, this doesn’t mean the Snapdragon is out of the running—Samsung could stick with Snapdragon chipsets in the US.
According to the initial report, the Exynos 2600 in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will have an NPU 6x faster than the Apple A19 Pro (the chipset in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max). This would also put it about 30% faster than the NPU in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The multi-core CPU performance is 14% higher, and the GPU a whopping 75% faster than the A19 Pro. Compared to the flagship Snapdragon, the Exynos GPU is said to be up to 29% faster.
Recently, there was a leak that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Pro could launch worldwide with the Exynos 2600. There was also a report that the Galaxy S26 Ultra would also use the Samsung chip, but this report has apparently been refuted.
Samsung Galaxy S26 series with 50/50 split
Now, the tide seems to have turned, with rumors suggesting that all Samsung Galaxy S26 models will use the Exynos 2600, at least in some regions. Samsung is reportedly aiming for a 50/50 split between the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 devices. Galaxy phones sold in the US, China, and Japan will receive the Qualcomm chip, while Korea, Europe, and all other countries will receive the Samsung chip.
This is an interesting turn of events, as Samsung’s foundries have reportedly received a contract to produce Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chips, likely using the 2nm GAA node (although the Exynos 2600 has priority over that node). These Samsung-made Snapdragon chips will most likely end up in Galaxy phones, so all Galaxy S26 models could feature Samsung-made chips in some capacity.
It’s not just the chipset selection that’s changing; the entire Samsung Galaxy S26 series will be changing. The Galaxy S26 Pro probably won’t get a Pro label after all, the Galaxy S26 Edge has reportedly been discontinued, and the S26+ is staying put. Apparently, only the Ultra will continue to make its rounds.
