The entire Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup will be released on Exynos — they say it will 'tear apart' both Snapdragon and A19
According to insider @Jukanlosreve, the new Exynos 2600 will be more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple A19 Pro. In particular, its NPU (neural processor) will be 6 times faster than the one used in the iPhone 17 Pro and will outperform Snapdragon in artificial intelligence tasks by 30%. But even outside AI scenarios, the Exynos 2600 shows impressive results: multi-core CPU performance is 14% higher, and the GPU is 75% faster than the Apple A19 Pro and up to 29% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Perhaps this will happen in no small part because the Exynos 2600 is manufactured (as insiders claim) using a 2-nm process, while competitors from Qualcomm and Apple are made using a 3-nm process.
These indicators can change Samsung's strategy regarding the Galaxy S26. Previously, it was expected that the Exynos 2600 would only be in the base model, but now insider Ice Universe reports that all models, including the S26 Ultra, may receive this chip — albeit with regional exceptions. Preliminary data suggests that Samsung plans a 50/50 distribution: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will remain for the US, China, and Japan, while Exynos 2600 will be for Europe, Korea, and other regions.
Interestingly, Samsung will be manufacturing not only its own chip but also the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 at its factories this year. However, it is unknown whether Samsung will adapt it to its own 2-nm GAA process (used for manufacturing the Exynos 2600) or use the 3-nm 3GAP, which is used to make the Exynos 2500 (Galaxy Z Flip7). So, regardless of the model, all Galaxy S26 units will be equipped with processors manufactured at their factories. You understand, in these tough times, everyone is saving — you bring a lunchbox from home, and Samsung brings its processors.
Regarding the model range — the Galaxy S26 Pro will likely be renamed back to Galaxy S26, the S26 Edge will be canceled, the S26+ will be revived, and the S26 Ultra — as expected — will continue the lineup without changes.
Source: www.gsmarena.com
