The next Samsung Galaxy S26 series could have a surprising new feature under the hood. If Samsung decided not to use its Exynos chips (which have received mixed reviews) then the company could throw in a Samsung produced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, providing users with flagship performance while maintaining a low price tag.
Samsung Drops Exynos, But Not For TSMC
At first, rumors suggested Samsung will utilize its Exynos platform for the Galaxy S26. But according to prolific leaker Digital Chat Station, that might not be the case. Or Samsung might go with a Samsung-made Snapdragon chip, rather than the usual TSMC route.
This new Snapdragon chip for the Galaxy S26 just wouldn’t be the same as the TSMC variant. Although both chips use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, Samsung’s version has the model number SM8850S, while TSMC’s is known as SM8850.
Galaxy S26 Qualcomm Snapdragon Performance: Here’s What to Expect
While there might be very slight changes on the technical side, both are made to Qualcomm’s spec. Real-world performance differences may be minor, too, even if Samsung’s chip is slightly lower-specced on paper. This move will enable Samsung to have power of a flagship level and it might save some bucks too in the manufacturing process.
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This means the Galaxy S26 Snapdragon might actually be able to provide some consistent, premium performance without all of the Exynos chip headaches we’ve seen in the past. Benchmarks have shown that Exynos Chips have statistically fallen behind their Qualcomm Snapdragon counterparts — but in day-to-day usage of many users, the difference is often not that perceptible.
Galaxy S26 Edge and Ultra: More Leaks Appear
Related to that, Galaxy S26 family could get structural modification. It comes from sources stating that Samsung might do away with the Plus model and instead offer a slimmer Galaxy S26 Edge, perhaps even Samsung’s thinnest phone yet at a potentially 5.8mm. That is thinner than the current Galaxy S25 Edge – already impressively slim with its form and function that includes Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, 12GB of RAM memory, and 256GB of storage.
In the meantime, the Galaxy S26 Ultra could get a bump with thinner bezels and 16GB RAM on all models, irrespective of storage capacity. Those enhancements imply Samsung is prioritizing form and multitasking performance among power users with the UI.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy S26: Just A Tactical Posturing?
Adopting an in-house manufacturing process for the Galaxy S26’s Snapdragon could be a game changer for Samsung. It enables more control over the supply chain, potentially better thermal considerations, and can open up opportunities to optimize for the Galaxy ecosystem.
We are still years away from the 2026 arrival of the Galaxy S26 series, but these changes prepare the ground for a major change in Samsung’s strategy with its chips.
