Galaxy S26 chip split explained: Snapdragon vs Exynos by region

Samsung has officially confirmed how it is splitting chipsets for the Galaxy S26 series. As expected, the lineup once again uses both Exynos and Snapdragon processors, depending on the model and region.

Here’s how it breaks down.

The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ are powered by the Exynos 2600 in most markets around the world.

However, customers in the United States, China, and Japan will get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 instead. Samsung confirmed this regional split at launch.

Samsung did not specifically mention Canada, but Canada has traditionally received Snapdragon variants. Based on that history, it is likely that the Galaxy S26 and S26+ will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 there as well.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is developed by Qualcomm, while the Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s in-house chip. Both processors are major upgrades over their predecessors, offering improvements in CPU, GPU, and NPU performance.

Unlike the base and Plus models, the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in all markets. There is no regional chipset split for the Ultra, as expected.

Samsung has also redesigned the Ultra’s vapor chamber cooling system. According to the company, the new design improves heat dissipation by 21%. Samsung did not say that the vapor chamber is physically larger, only that it has been redesigned for better cooling efficiency.