Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra outperforms the Exynos S26 in benchmark tests
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is about to launch; the top model, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset in all regions, while the regular S26 and S26+ get Samsung’s own Exynos 2600. Thanks to a new leak, we now have a system overview and benchmark tests of the upcoming smartphones.
Specs
First, it should be noted that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be an overclocked “for Galaxy” variant – its prime core cluster clocks at 4.74 GHz instead of the usual 4.61 GHz of the standard chipset. The GPU may also have a higher clock speed.
Benchmark tests
This means that the Prime cores (Oryon V3) of the Snapdragon processor are clocked almost a full gigahertz higher than the ARM C1 Ultra core of the Exynos 2600, which runs at 3.80 GHz. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the Snapdragon chip has the edge in single-core performance (+16%).
However, multi-core performance is practically identical, as it falls within the margin of error – the Exynos 2600 is 2% below the Snapdragon. Of course, the fact that the Exynos 2600 has a ten-core CPU (1+3+6) plays a role here, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy has “only” eight cores (2+6).
It’s not shown in the screenshots above, but all three Samsung Galaxy S26 models come standard with 12GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra should be available with an optional 16GB, but this option is only available for the 1TB variant, and we don’t expect that one to have been tested.
Video shows Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display
Last month, Samsung announced that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will premier with a new privacy display feature. The company has now released a short video demonstrating how it works: When viewed from the side, the screen can appear either completely or partially black without affecting readability.
In the video above, the entire screen is darkened to prevent unwanted viewing as soon as the “Zero-Peeking” option is activated. Interestingly, the Samsung smartphone can control this function with pixel-perfect precision and hide only notifications containing sensitive information.
You can decide how this function is controlled – you can turn it on or off manually, or let the phone switch it automatically, for example when you leave the house.
Some laptops have a basic version of this feature; for example, HP calls it Sure View, while Lenovo calls it PrivacyGuard. However, it can only be activated for the entire screen and not just for parts of it, as will be possible with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series will be unveiled next Wednesday (February 25th). If you missed it, you can check our articles with all the leaked information about the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy S26 and S26+.
