Samsung Revives Exynos for Galaxy S26 to Cut Costs, With Reported $20–$30 Per-Unit Savings

Reports point to a mixed-chip return after application-processor spending surged to 10.93 trillion won in nine months.

Overview

Samsung disclosed that mobile AP outlays reached 10.93 trillion won from January to September 2025, up 25.5% year over year, a rise widely linked to heavier Snapdragon use in the Galaxy S25 lineup.
Industry reporting indicates the Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 and S26+ could be priced $20–$30 below Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, potentially delivering sizable bill-of-materials savings.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said Snapdragon processors are expected to power about 75% of Galaxy S26 units, with analysts separately estimating a roughly 70–30 split in favor of Qualcomm.
New reports suggest the S26 Ultra will stay Snapdragon-only and that Exynos deployments could concentrate in regions such as Europe, South Korea, and select developing markets, though allocations are not finalized.
Observers caution that real-world performance, power efficiency, connectivity, and early 2nm yield constraints will influence how broadly Samsung ultimately deploys Exynos in the S26 range.