Written By Madhav Malhotra
Samsung Might Bring Back Exynos Chips for Their Upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Series
After going all-in on Snapdragon for the S25 series, Samsung could be planning a regional return for its in-house Exynos 2600.
Published By: Madhav Malhotra | Published: May 06, 2025, 04:31 PM (IST)
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series made waves in January with a huge shift in its processor. After years of using its own Exynos chips, Samsung chose Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for all markets across the Galaxy S25 lineup. But now, there’s a buzz that Samsung may be ready to switch things up again for the Galaxy S26 series and possibly bringing back its Exynos 2600 processor. 
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The catch is that the Exynos 2600 could be used only for the European market. So, we might still see a Snapdragon variant for the S26 series. The main problem Samsung might face with its flagship lineup is that the Exynos chip is currently dealing with yield issues, meaning it might not be ready for a global launch just yet. Also Read: iQOO 15 Leak Reveals Key Specifications Ahead Of Launch: Here’s What To Expect
Latest industry note related to Samsung:
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Exynos 2600 is indeed planned to be used in the S26.
Currently, due to reportedly low yield, it is likely to be equipped mainly in European models.
An industry source emphasized that even in the AP for the S26, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon…
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Interestingly, the tip also mentions that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon offers a clear performance advantage over the Exynos 2600, although it’s unclear which Snapdragon variant was tested. This follows a familiar pattern as Samsung had initially planned to use the Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series but dropped it in favour of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s believed that the Exynos chip’s poor yield led Samsung to go with Qualcomm instead. This shift back to Exynos could be linked to Samsung’s semiconductor division reportedly taking a significant hit, with losses around $400 million. It looks like Samsung might be trying to put its in-house chips to use to cut down on those losses.
