Galaxy S26 could have newest Bluetooth spec, here's how it could matter

Samsung’s next lineup of flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S26 series, is expected to feature the Exynos 2600 chipset in most regions, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in others. However, those may not be the only chipsets the three phones in the lineup will have.

On the Bluetooth SIG website, a new Samsung chipset has been spotted, the Exynos S6568 (via Diztel). Its description says that this chip offers Bluetooth 6.1 and Wi-Fi connectivity, and is to be used alongside an “Exynos Application Processor“, such as the Exynos 2600.

Bluetooth SIG announced Bluetooth 6.1 in May this year. It offers better security and improved power efficiency over Bluetooth 6.0, and currently, it is the newest and greatest Bluetooth standard. From what we could gather, at the moment, there are no devices offering Bluetooth 6.1.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S26 series in March 2025 (the launch has reportedly been delayed as the brand has rejigged the models in the lineup). At the moment, the phones in it could be in the final stage of development, which also includes getting their chips and other components certified. Samsung getting the Exynos S6568 certified around the same time suggests that the brand could use this SoC for the Galaxy S26 series.

We assume that by offloading Bluetooth and Wi-Fi duties from the Exynos 2600 to the Exynos S6568, Samsung is trying to improve the power efficiency and/or the performance and thermal parameters of the Exynos 2600. That could help the Galaxy S26 offer improved battery life, perform faster, and heat up less. However, that’s just our speculation. We will have to see more pieces of information about the new chip to know what it is exactly for.