Summary
- Samsung might prioritize Exynos chips over Qualcomm in 2026’s Galaxy S26 lineup.
- The Korean company will have access to limited quantities of the Exynos 2600 though.
- This could again limit Samsung to using the Exynos 990 in the non-Ultra Galaxy S26 variants in select markets.
Love it or hate it, Samsung does not want to give up on its in-house Exynos chips. After sticking to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC only for the Galaxy S24 Ultra and using an Exynos 2400 chip on its smaller siblings in international markets, Samsung went all-in on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Galaxy S25 series this year. For 2026’s Galaxy S26 lineup, rumors indicate Samsung may double down on Exynos, prioritizing the use of its in-house chip over Qualcomm’s. A new rumor echoes this claim, but with a twist.
Leaker @Jukanlosreve claims Exynos 2600 is “definitely back,” with Samsung using it on the Galaxy S26. The catch is that the company will have limited quantities of the chip, repeating a scenario that it faced with the Exynos 990.
As a reminder, Samsung used the Exynos 990 inside the international variants of the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series. It only used Qualcomm’s SoC inside the variants sold in the US, China and Canada. Considering the leaker’s claim that Samsung has limited quantities of the Exynos 2600, this would still amount to a fairly broad launch.
Samsung will likely have access to limited quantities of the Exynos 2600 due to yield issues with its foundry and its 2nm node. So, if anything, we should see the next flagship Exynos chip being used only on the Galaxy S26 and S26+, with the Ultra sticking to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip.
Exynos may find a place in Samsung’s FE lineup
Before the Galaxy S25’s debut, rumors about Samsung’s choice of chipset were all over the place. For months, leaks pointed to the company working hard to boost Exynos 2500 yields, aiming to feature it in the 2025 flagships. Ultimately, that did not happen, with Samsung using the Snapdragon 8 Elite across all variants and models of the phone worldwide.
Despite everything, Samsung appears to still have plans for the Exynos 2500, with recent leaks pointing to its use in the new budget-friendly Galaxy Z Flip FE. The company did something similar last year, equipping the Galaxy S24 FE with the Exynos 2400.
Since Samsung’s high-end Exynos chips fall short of Qualcomm’s flagships in terms of both power and efficiency, the company might be better off reserving them for its FE lineup. Using them in its flagship phones does its image more harm than good.
