Samsung is reportedly planning a significant geographical split for its upcoming Galaxy S26 flagship smartphones, deploying its advanced 2-nanometer Exynos 2600 chipset in key international markets while reserving Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor for devices sold in the United States, China, and Japan.
This strategy means all Galaxy S26 models, from the base version to the premium S26 Ultra, will feature either the in-house Exynos 2600 or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, rather than a single global standard. This implies potential variations in device performance and features for consumers depending on their purchasing region.
According to a tipster known as Jukan, citing sources in the semiconductor industry and South Korean media, the Exynos 2600 is poised to become one of the most powerful Android mobile chipsets available. It is the first chipset to utilize Samsung’s 2-nanometer Gate-All-Around (GAA) manufacturing process.
The Exynos 2600 is designed to compete directly with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s A19 Pro. Performance metrics shared suggest a 14% increase in CPU performance. Its Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is reportedly 75% faster than Apple’s A19 Pro GPU and 29% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 GPU.
Furthermore, the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the Exynos 2600 is claimed to be six times faster than the A19 Pro NPU and 30% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 NPU. These enhancements target significant improvements in AI-driven tasks.
The reported distribution plan allocates the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 to all Galaxy S26 models sold in the United States, China, and Japan. Conversely, all Galaxy S26 models destined for South Korea, Europe, and other global markets will be equipped with the Exynos 2600.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, currently produced using 3-nanometer technology, features an 8-core CPU with a maximum processing speed of 4.60 GHz. Samsung’s decision to maintain a dual-chip strategy indicates it will not fully abandon Qualcomm’s chipsets.
Earlier reports indicated that Samsung Foundry, the company’s chip manufacturing division, had received orders to produce a version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 using a 2-nanometer GAA process. This suggests Samsung is deeply involved in the production of high-end chips for both its internal use and for competitors.