It looks like Samsung is gearing up for a major comeback. The Korean tech giant is reportedly planning to power its entire upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup, including the Ultra model that hasn’t used one in four years, with its own Exynos 2600 chip.
An AI breakthrough that’s making waves
According to internal tests, Samsung’s in-house processor is delivering impressive results in artificial intelligence. Its NPU, the component dedicated to AI processing, is reportedly six times more powerful than Apple’s A19 Pro chip and 30% faster than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite.
A redesigned architecture
The key to this improvement appears to lie in a major technical decision: for the first time, Samsung would separate the modem from the main processor. This change would free up space to boost both CPU and GPU performance.
The return of the Exynos could help Samsung tackle two challenges at once. First, it could revitalize the company’s semiconductor division after several difficult years. Second, it could lower smartphone production costs, which have so far relied heavily on Qualcomm chips.
As one source in the semiconductor industry put it: “Exynos, which had fallen behind Apple and Qualcomm, now seems to have found an opportunity to turn the tables with this new product.”
Now it’s up to Samsung to prove that these promising benchmarks will translate into real-world performance. The answer should come with the launch of the Galaxy S26 lineup in early 2026.
