New leaks have emerged regarding the processors that will be used in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Reports indicate that the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will use either an Exynos or Snapdragon chipset, depending on the region where they are sold. According to Chosun Biz, the Galaxy S26 models with the Exynos 2600 processor will be available primarily in Asian markets, including Korea.
Exynos 2600 move in Galaxy S26: Cheaper chip, no consumer discount
This information is also supported by reports shared by ET News last week. That report indicated that the S26 and S26 Plus models would receive Exynos processors in Korea and Europe and Snapdragon processors in North America. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be equipped with a Snapdragon chipset in all markets globally.
However, according to Chosun Biz’s sources, a significant development is underway on the cost front. Negotiations are underway between Samsung’s LSI division, responsible for Exynos chips, and the MX division, responsible for mobile devices. The aim of the negotiations is to reduce the procurement cost of the Exynos 2600 chipset by $20 to $30 compared to the Snapdragon processor.
This cost reduction is not expected to be passed on to consumers. According to reports, Samsung is not aiming to lower the sales price of its phones with this move, but rather to increase its profitability per device. In short, these savings are expected to remain directly in Samsung’s pocket and not be passed on to consumers.
Samsung’s flagship Exynos processors have traditionally lagged behind Snapdragon chips in raw power. An industry source stated that the Exynos 2600 achieved “good performance” in benchmark tests. However, the same source also warned that these scores could be “completely different” from those in real-world devices.
The source compared this to competitors like Apple and Qualcomm. It was stated that these companies, rather than focusing solely on benchmark scores, adopt specialized core designs through smartphone optimization and focus on real-world usage scenarios.
The Exynos 2600 is expected to utilize some of the Arm CPU cores in the Dimensity 9500 chipset. Tests revealed that the MediaTek chip’s CPU performance lagged behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 CPU. Therefore, a similar CPU performance difference is expected between the Exynos 2600 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
It’s eagerly awaited to see how the Exynos-equipped Galaxy S26 phones compare to the Snapdragon variants in areas other than CPU performance. So, what are your thoughts on Samsung’s profit-focused processor strategy?
