Galaxy S26 may return to a dual-chip approach in 2026, and early guidance suggests most models will still run on Qualcomm silicon. While Samsung is expected to use both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and its in-house Exynos 2600 across the series, Qualcomm’s latest earnings commentary hints that its chipset will power the majority of devices.
In a Q4 2025 earnings call, Qualcomm’s leadership framed its share of Samsung’s flagship business with unusual clarity. After supplying 100% of the Galaxy S25 lineup, the company said its default assumption for any new Galaxy is a 75% share—an expectation it explicitly extended to the Galaxy S26. In other words, even with Samsung bringing Exynos back into the mix, Qualcomm still anticipates shipping the lion’s share of processors for next year’s flagships.
That stance underscores Qualcomm’s confidence in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 against the Exynos 2600. Yet on paper, Samsung’s chip looks increasingly compelling. Pre-launch benchmarks suggest the Exynos 2600—built on a 2nm GAA process—delivers strong efficiency. Reports point to impressive performance-per-watt results, including power draw of roughly 7.6W in Geekbench 6 multi-core and about 3.6W in single-core, with claims that it even surpasses Apple’s A19 Pro in that specific efficiency metric.
Despite those promising numbers, indications are that Exynos 2600 may only appear in a smaller subset of Galaxy S26 models. That could reflect caution around real-world performance, thermals, modem reliability, and sustained workloads—areas where shipping devices often tell a different story than early benchmarks.
What it means for buyers is straightforward: the Galaxy S26 family is expected to feature both Snapdragon and Exynos variants, but Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 models will likely dominate global volume. For enthusiasts tracking mobile silicon, the real showdown will come when retail units launch and long-term tests reveal how each chip handles performance, heat, battery life, and connectivity. Until then, the momentum appears to favor Qualcomm’s continued majority presence in Samsung’s 2026 flagship lineup, even as Exynos stages a promising return.
