Galaxy S26 Edge Scores Big in Geekbench Despite CPU Throttle

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Edge has made its first appearance on Geekbench, offering an early look at its performance. The next-gen slim flagship is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, a chip capable of reaching 4.74GHz. In this test, however, it was capped at 4.0GHz to help manage thermals. Yet the phone delivered impressive scores, hinting at the Elite 2’s full potential.

Galaxy S26 Edge spotted with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor

After introducing the Galaxy S25 Edge as a new slim model in its 2025 flagship lineup, Samsung plans to integrate the Edge into the main lineup next year. The Galaxy S26 Edge looks all set to replace the S26+. The device, carrying model number SM-S947U, recently surfaced on Geekbench (h/t @yabhishekhd) with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 at the helm. The chipset is paired with 12GB of RAM and Android 16-based software (likely One UI 8.5).

The Geekbench run confirmed leaks that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will boast a peak frequency of 4.74GHz. The octa-core chip features two CPU cores clocked at the maximum speed, while the other six cores run at 3.63GHz. However, the Galaxy S26 Edge was only running at 4.0GHz during the benchmark, likely to keep thermals in check. This phone is rumored to be just 5.5mm thick, so aggressive thermal throttling is crucial.

Even so, it scored 3,393 points in single-core and 11,515 points in multi-core CPU tests. Those are impressive figures, better than the Snapdragon 8 Elite at its full potential. When running at its full speed, the Elite 2 could hit new heights for a mobile CPU. The Galaxy S26 Pro (replaces the base model) and S26 Ultra should run the chip at its full speed. The chipset integrates the Adreno 840 GPU, promising strong graphics performance for gaming and high-demand apps.

Interestingly, Samsung is also working to reduce reliance on Qualcomm chips by developing the Exynos 2600, a deca-core processor built on its in-house 2nm process. This chip could power the Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Edge models in select markets. A lot depends on how comparable it performs against the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. If there’s a massive performance gap, Samsung may not use the new Exynos in its upcoming flagships.