The chips powering 2026 flagships

2026 is shaping up to be a far more interesting year for smartphone chipsets than it has been in a long time.

In typical Samsung fashion, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is once again set to use two different processors across regions: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Samsung’s own Exynos 2600.

Historically, Samsung’s Exynos chipsets have lagged behind Qualcomm in performance, often sitting a tier below.

This time, however, Samsung appears to have stepped up with major changes in the Exynos 2600.

Samsung is making some of its boldest claims yet with the Exynos 2600, calling it the world’s first 2nm smartphone chipset and promising significant gains in performance, efficiency, and thermal behavior.

On the other hand, Qualcomm has also doubled down on performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which it announced at Snapdragon Summit 2025.

So, which chipset looks more powerful for the Galaxy S26 series? Let’s break it down.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs. Exynos 2600: Specifications

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs. Exynos 2600: Performance

Before we dive into the performance differences between the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600, it is worth noting that both chipsets are built on different node processes.

The Exynos 2600 is the first smartphone chipset to use a 2nm process, beating not only Qualcomm but also Apple and MediaTek, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 uses TSMC’s latest 3nm process.

In theory, a smaller node process allows for better performance and efficiency, but we will need to see real-world results after devices using the Exynos 2600 begin shipping.

Moving to the CPU, this is where the differences between the two chipsets stand out most.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, like its predecessor, uses Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores, now in their 3rd generation, which have already proven to be powerful.

The Exynos 2600, on the other hand, relies on ARM’s latest v9.3 architecture for its CPU cores.

The CPU layout itself differs significantly.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 continues with the familiar mix of high-frequency and low-frequency cores in an 8-core design, while the Exynos 2600 drops low-tier cores entirely, opting instead for a combination of high-performance and higher-clocked mid-tier cores.

On the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you get two cores clocked at up to 4.6GHz paired with six lower-frequency cores that go up to 3.62GHz. On the Exynos 2600, there are 10 cores, consisting of one at up to 3.8GHz, three at up to 3.25GHz, and six at 2.75GHz.

In terms of graphics, the Exynos 2600 uses a proprietary GPU technology, with Samsung claiming up to twice the performance of the previous generation and 50% better ray tracing.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, on the other hand, relies on the proven Adreno 840 GPU, which offers 20% better power efficiency and 25% improved ray tracing.

Credit: Samsung

The biggest thermal-related upgrade on the Exynos 2600 appears to be Samsung’s new heat sink technology.

Samsung has introduced a new Heat Path Block (HPB) in the Exynos 2600 that is designed to improve heat dissipation.

According to the company, the HPB draws heat directly away from the chipset and disperses it more efficiently under heavy workloads, keeping temperatures stable during high-performance tasks.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is also reported to heat under pressure, given the performance gains it delivers, but it does not include a dedicated HPB-like system.

Instead, devices such as the OnePlus 15 rely on larger vapor chambers to remain cool under load.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs. Exynos 2600: AI

AI is a major pillar of flagship smartphones today, and both the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 come equipped with dedicated AI hardware to deliver those experiences.

Qualcomm says the Hexagon NPU on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is about 37% faster than the previous generation, enabling features like Personal Knowledge Graph, Personal Scribe, and continuous context awareness.

Samsung, on the other hand, is claiming a massive 113% boost in AI performance, with support for running large on-device models for image editing, AI assistants, and privacy-focused processing. It is designed to handle heavier AI workloads locally.

Ultimately, it comes down to how smartphone brands choose to make use of these chipsets, but both processors seem capable enough to power next-gen AI features, some of which we might see debut on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs. Exynos 2600: Connectivity

Credit: Samsung

Connectivity is another interesting point of difference between these two chipsets.

While Samsung chipsets have traditionally used integrated cellular modems, meaning Wi-Fi, 5G, and Bluetooth are all baked directly into the SoC, the Exynos 2600 switches to an external modem, the Exynos Modem 5410.

This is the next generation of the Exynos 5400 modem used on the Google Pixel 9 series. Samsung is promising major improvements, including support for three types of satellite networks and lower 5G power consumption.

Still, we will need to see how it performs in real use.

It is not unusual for phones to use an external modem; both Apple iPhones and Google Pixel phones use one, but this is the first time it is being done on a Samsung chipset.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, on the other hand, uses an integrated modem like the previous flagship chipsets.

You’ll find the Snapdragon X85 5G modem on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 alongside FastConnect 7900 for Wi-Fi 7.

We have experienced no cellular reception issues on any Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones, and Qualcomm claims it is the first modem to use AI inferencing to provide more reliable connectivity while reducing power consumption.

Samsung might have a chance this time around

On the whole, Samsung seems to have taken a major leap with the Exynos 2600, making changes to nearly every aspect of the chipset, including CPU layout, introducing its own GPU, and addressing overheating issues, at least on paper for now.

Qualcomm remains the brand to beat, but Samsung appears to have closed the gap with the 2600. We will know more after the Galaxy S26 series makes its official debut in the coming months.