Only the Galaxy S26 Ultra to get Snapdragon chips, leak claims

The long-awaited Galaxy S26 series will likely introduce a new chapter in the ongoing Exynos versus Snapdragon saga. Despite strong internal efforts by Samsung's semiconductor division, a fresh report indicates the company is sticking to a familiar hierarchy for its next generation of flagship processors, reserving the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for its top-tier device, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung’s chip split returns: Exynos 2600 for base and Plus Galaxy S26, Snapdragon for Ultra

According to a report from Korean media Chosun Biz, the premium Galaxy S26 Ultra will be the only model to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Meanwhile, the base Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus models will feature the in-house Exynos 2600 chip. If true, this alleged split confirms that Samsung remains confident enough in the Exynos 2600 to use it in its primary flagship variants but considers that the "Snapdragon" brand remains a powerful key selling point for the most premium Ultra device.

After equipping all Galaxy S25 models with Snapdragon, the return of Exynos in the base and Plus S26 models signals a major victory for Samsung's 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) production and chip design. Industry experts suggest this expansion improves Samsung's negotiation leverage against Qualcomm. However, analysts believe that the Ultra won't see an Exynos chip at least until the Galaxy S27 in 2027.

Launching in February

While the focus remains on the processor decision, the same report backs up a recent leak regarding the launch timeline. The source suggests Samsung is aiming for a February 2026 launch for the Galaxy S26 series. This matches the previously tipped February 25 date. However, Chosun Biz leaves the door open to the Unpacked event taking place at the end of January 2026, although without modifying the availability of the devices for the following month. The company reportedly worked hard to expedite the schedule after initial product composition changes—like removing the "Edge" and re-including the "Plus" model—threatened a delay until March.

For consumers, this chip decision might carry a notable potential consequence: price. Since the Qualcomm SoC is significantly pricier than the Exynos 2600, and with general component costs rising globally, the industry widely expects the Snapdragon-exclusive Galaxy S26 Ultra to see an inevitable price increase. Buyers of the S26 and S26 Plus, meanwhile, can look forward to potentially improved performance without necessarily a price increase—although this is just speculation at the moment.