Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series has been the subject of ongoing speculation, particularly around whether the new models will feature Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 chipset, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, or a mix of both. The latest rumour adds a twist: reportedly, all three Galaxy S26 versions may debut with the Exynos 2600 onboard, but – and it’s a big but – only if you’re in South Korea.
This claim comes as a surprise since Samsung has a history of releasing Exynos-powered versions in Europe and other markets. Naturally, this leads to some scepticism about whether this rumour will stick — especially considering how every new leak about the S26 chips seems to contradict the last.
The root of Samsung’s dilemma appears to be public sentiment. Tech fans have voiced a clear preference for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, while Exynos processors have often faced criticism online. Adding to this, Samsung’s agreement with Qualcomm reportedly requires that three-quarters of all Galaxy S26 devices sold worldwide use Snapdragon’s latest 8 Elite Gen 5. If Samsung doesn’t meet this quota, it faces hefty financial penalties.
There’s another factor at play: the Exynos 2600’s production yield hasn’t fully stabilised, although it’s apparently improving faster than previous Samsung chipsets made with older process nodes. For now, this means Samsung might not even be able to roll out Exynos-powered S26 models beyond Korea — even if it wants to.
Of course, these reports remain unconfirmed and could easily be reversed by the next rumour. The only sure thing is that the chipset story for the Galaxy S26 series continues to evolve.
