Samsung is gearing up to unveil the Galaxy S26 series next Wednesday, February 25. The lineup includes the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside the standard Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+. Early benchmark data reveals a significant performance gap between the two chipset configurations Samsung is deploying this year.
Chipset Strategy: Snapdragon for Ultra, Exynos for Base Models
For the first time in recent years, Samsung is taking a different approach with its flagship processor strategy. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will ship exclusively with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 across all global markets. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 and S26+ will feature Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 processor in several regions. The exact regional split hasn't been confirmed yet, though European markets typically receive Exynos variants.
Single-Core Dominance: Snapdragon Takes the Lead
Benchmark scores from TechManiacs show the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "for Galaxy" variant hitting 3,724 points in Geekbench 6 single-core tests. The Exynos 2600 manages 3,197 points. That's a 16% advantage for the Snapdragon chip. The gap stems from clock speeds. The Snapdragon's Prime cores run at 4.74GHz, nearly a full gigahertz higher than the Exynos 2600's ARM C1-Ultra core at 3.80GHz. The "for Galaxy" variant is overclocked compared to the standard 4.61GHz Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Multi-Core Parity: Exynos Closes the Gap
Despite the single-core deficit, the Exynos 2600 holds its own in multi-core workloads. The Snapdragon S26 Ultra scored 11,237 points while the Exynos-powered S26 reached 11,012 points. That's just a 2% difference, well within the margin of error. The deca-core architecture of the Exynos 2600 (1+3+6 configuration) likely helps here, compared to the Snapdragon's eight-core setup (2+6).
RAM and Storage Configurations
All three Galaxy S26 models will come with 12GB of RAM as standard. The S26 Ultra reportedly offers a 16GB option, though this appears limited to the 1TB storage variant. The benchmark units tested likely featured the base 12GB configuration.
Samsung's Unpacked event on February 25 will reveal full pricing and availability details. Early indications suggest the chipset performance gap won't impact day-to-day usage dramatically, but power users may notice the Snapdragon advantage in single-threaded applications.
Source (in Greek)