Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus may miss out on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — here's why

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung has a consistency problem when it comes to the flagship Galaxy phones. It feels like we're constantly having to wonder what chipsets are coming to the next phone, and whether Samsung will opt for Qualcomm chips or its own Exynos brand. And so far, the Galaxy S26 series is proving to be no exception.

There has been speculation the upcoming Galaxy S26 could see the return of Exynos chips in some markets, rather than just slapping the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in every single model. Now, according to evidence seen by SamMobile we may see an Exynos/Qualcomm divide split up by device type.

The site claims that both the Galaxy S26 (or 26 Pro, as it's rumored to be called) and the Galaxy S26 Plus will be powered by an Exynos 2600 chip. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and S26 Edge will reportedly come with the recently unveiled Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

While utilizing its own chips means Samsung could help cut costs on upcoming phones, there's always been a little bit of a disconnect between Exynos and Snapdragon chips.

That said, the site also notes that all four models may still come with Snapdragon chips in the U.S. and China. It's not a huge surprise to hear this, because, as inconsistent as Samsung has been outside the U.S., you can usually count on it utilizing Qualcomm chips in U.S. flagships.

Then again, since the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is powered by an Exynos 2500 around the world, we can't be 100% sure that the U.S. will remain Exynos-free.

While utilizing its own chips means Samsung could help cut costs on upcoming phones, there's always been a little bit of a disconnect between Exynos and Snapdragon chips. The former has the reputation for not offering as much performance power, especially since Samsung often employs an exclusive Snapdragon chip that offers even better performance than the standard chip.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 — (Image credit: Qualcomm)

So the prospect of the Galaxy S26 having that two-tier performance power, dependent on where it was bought, isn't exactly ideal.

But we won't know for sure what's happening until the Galaxy S26 launches early next year. Until then, keep up to date with the latest news and rumors in our Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra hubs.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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