Qualcomm All but Confirms Snapdragon Inside Galaxy S26

Qualcomm may have just confirmed that Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series will feature its latest Snapdragon processor. While leaks have long pointed to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powering the Galaxy S26 Ultra globally, the chipmaker has now dropped its clearest hint yet. Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+ are expected to rely on Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2600 in most markets.

Qualcomm Snapdragon will power “something big” from Samsung

Samsung recently confirmed that its next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on February 25, 2026. While the company didn’t explicitly name any products, the event will introduce the Galaxy S26 series. Shortly after the announcement, Qualcomm’s official Snapdragon account on X amplified Samsung’s post with the caption, “Something big is coming. 👏”

The message may sound subtle, but it effectively locks in Snapdragon inside the Galaxy S26 phones. Leaks have long shown the Galaxy S26 Ultra with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The device is likely to run the new Qualcomm processor worldwide. The other two models may get the Snapdragon in the US and select other markets, and Samsung’s Exynos 2600 in most other regions, including Europe.

Since Ultra has always been the best-selling model in Samsung’s flagship lineup, Qualcomm may end up powering nearly 75% of all Galaxy S26 units. Samsung is mostly using the Exynos 2600 as ashowcase of its improved foundry and chip designing. If things move along the expected trajectory in the coming months, we may see Exynos powering more Galaxy flagships in the coming years.

In fact, early industry chatter suggests that up to 50% of the Galaxy S27 series could use the upcoming Exynos 2700. This cannot be possible without Exynos making it into the Ultra model, a move Samsung is desperate to make to save costs. We will have to wait and see if the company has truly addressed all the issues that plagued its earlier Exynos processors.