Samsung teases Exynos 2600 for Galaxy S26: 2 nm power and big gains

Samsung has officially acknowledged the Exynos 2600, by releasing a punchy teaser that all but signals this chip could power the upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup. For the first time in a while, the company is speaking openly about its flagship processor, clearly aiming to turn the page on how Exynos has been perceived. In the video, Samsung stresses that it has listened closely to users and reworked the chip’s architecture from the ground up, focusing on optimization at every layer. The subtext is hard to miss: this is an attempt to reset the narrative.

The Exynos 2600 is expected to be the first 2 nm mobile processor on the market, and early leaks suggest its performance could come close to—and in some cases match—the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. That sets up an intriguing dynamic for the Galaxy S26: it looks like Samsung may return to a split-chip strategy by region. Europe and several global markets are expected to get the Exynos 2600, while U.S. versions and possibly the Ultra model could run on Snapdragon. The only exception would be if Samsung decides to bring the revamped Exynos to the U.S. as well.

Preliminary benchmarks, according to leaks, point to a substantial jump in performance, at times approaching Apple’s M5—an outcome that even skeptics didn’t see coming. If those numbers hold, the Galaxy S26 could deliver the most noticeable speed gains in years.

The teaser effectively hints that a full reveal is close, likely within the next few weeks. As rumors have it, the Galaxy S26 phones could debut in January or February. Still, any firm judgments about the Exynos 2600 will have to wait until it ships inside real devices.