The official unveiling of the Galaxy S26 series phones brings excitement for consumers as they will now be powered by both Samsung’s Exynos 2600 chipset and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. These two chipsets are competitors in the flagship space for mobile devices, prompting a comparison between them. While Qualcomm’s chipset has already been seen in phones this year, Samsung’s Exynos 2600 will debut next month with the Galaxy S26 Ultra and other variants.
Samsung introduced the Exynos 2600 chipset at the end of last year, while Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at the end of September 2025. Both chipsets will be used in devices this year, with Qualcomm’s chip likely to be more widely available due to its use by various manufacturers. This comparison will help determine how Samsung’s chip stacks up against Qualcomm’s offering and how it fares against competitors like the MediaTek Dimensity 9500.
Spec Comparison:
– Architecture: Both chipsets are 64-bit
– Process Node: Qualcomm at 3nm (N3P) and Samsung at 2nm GAA
– CPU: Qualcomm features custom-built Oryon cores, while Samsung has a Deca-core setup
– GPU: Qualcomm uses Adreno GPU with performance and power improvements, while Samsung has the Xclipse 960 GPU
– Memory, Storage, Wi-Fi, 5G Modem, NPU, ISP, Bluetooth, Display, Location, Camera, USB, Charging, Audio, AI, Power Savings details are compared between the two chipsets.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 outperforms the Exynos 2600 in benchmark tests, according to scores posted by Tech & Leaks Zone on Telegram. While Qualcomm’s chipset leads in raw numbers, real-world performance may vary, and Samsung’s chip still delivers strong scores. The Snapdragon chip excels in single-core and multi-core scores, while the Exynos chip wins in the OpenCL GPU score.
OEMs and Availability:
Samsung is expected to use the Exynos 2600 in its flagship phones in the EU and global regions, while US models will likely feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Qualcomm’s chipset will be used in various flagship phones this year, including partners like REDMAGIC, OnePlus, and Realme.
In conclusion, the comparison between the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 showcases the advancements in chipset technology for mobile devices. Each chipset offers unique features and performance capabilities, catering to different OEMs and regions. Consumers can look forward to high-performance smartphones powered by these cutting-edge chipsets in the coming months.