Limited to select markets, Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to return to dual-chip strategy

Earlier reports stated that Samsung will use Exynos 2600 chips for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, triggering speculation that the series may completely abandon the Snapdragon chip version. This will be the first time in four years that Samsung has returned to using its own Exynos chips in a top-end flagship phone.

However, the latest news shows that this may not be the case. According to a report by "SamMobile", Samsung will still launch a version equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but it will only be available in a few markets. This strategy is also consistent with Qualcomm’s previous statement, confirming that Samsung will indeed use this Snapdragon chip in some markets.

Reports indicate that Samsung is expected to fully use Exynos 2600 chips on the other two Galaxy S26 models and will not launch a Snapdragon version, which is consistent with past strategies.

This dual-chip allocation model is not the first to appear for Ultra models. In the past, during the Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra periods, Samsung provided Exynos and Snapdragon versions depending on the market. It wasn’t until the Galaxy S23 Ultra that Samsung fully switched to Snapdragon chips.

Reports indicate that the Galaxy S26 Ultra equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be sold in the United States, Japan and China; while the versions in South Korea, Europe and other markets will be equipped with Exynos 2600.

This move is bound to once again trigger direct comparisons between the two versions. It is expected that the Exynos version will still be compared with the performance of Qualcomm's latest chips, but Samsung is obviously confident in the performance of its own Exynos chips.

Galaxy S26 Ultra may get a Snapdragon chip but only in these markets