The Galaxy S25 series does not use Exynos chips for any of the models in any region. However, this is set to change with the Galaxy S26 lineup. Samsung could bring back Exynos, at least for the base model and the Plus model. The Exynos 2600 will use cutting-edge new technology and also features theoretical improvements to efficiency.
The last time Samsung followed this dual-chip strategy was with the Galaxy S24 series. In some regions, the base model and the Plus model both used the Exynos 2400 SOC. However, the Ultra model only had the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 worldwide. The company is not yet confident in using the Exynos chips for the Ultra model. The S23 series before this didn’t have an Exynos variant as well, and it was Snapdragon worldwide for all models.
The Galaxy S26 series could get the Exynos 2600 chip
According to Jukanlosreve on X, Samsung will use the Exynos 2600 for the S26 series. It’s a reliable account for Samsung and semiconductor-based leaks. However, the leak warns of a low volume availability of the chip, probably an issue with low yield rates from Samsung. We’re not sure if the chip is actually good and the way it handles thermals all of them have to be tested once the device launches in January 2026.
The market share of Exynos has been dropping or flatlining recently since Samsung isn’t using Exynos on their best-selling flagships. The S24 Ultra, the best-selling model from the S24 series, doesn’t use an Exynos chip.
There’s some positive news about Exynos. The Galaxy A56, running the Exynos 1580, shows promising improvements. It scores 930K points on Antutu, which is behind the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 (1.5M points), but it’s way better than the 7 Gen 3 and 7s Gen 3. This is a far better performance than previous midrange Exynos chips. The Exynos W1000, a wearable chip, is actually class-leading.
On the flagship side, the Exynos 2400 is a very good chip. There are no reports of heating issues, even in summer. The Exynos 2400e, on the other hand, is efficient and fixes battery life issues with the FE lineup of Samsung phones. This proves that the main issue isn’t the chip design but the low yield rate of the fabrication. The main highlight of the Exynos 2600 is that it might be the first chip in the world to use a 2nm fabrication process. Smaller transistor sizes (~2nm) will mean that they can fit more transistors into the same chip, increasing both performance and efficiency. The projected improvements to efficiency are 15-25%, which is a major innovation. The 8 Elite 2 from Qualcomm will stick to a 3nm fabrication process.
Samsung is conducting audits and hiring new talent to try to fix the problems in the Samsung foundry. The yield rate is still far below that of competitors like TSMC, even with 3nm chips. The main reason why they can’t use Exynos worldwide is that they don’t have enough successful chips to use, and the low yield rate doesn’t help.
