Samsung Galaxy S26 Exynos 2600 chip could be limited to just one country

What you need to know

• Samsung will reportedly ship the Exynos 2600 exclusively in Korea, with all global Galaxy S26 models switching to Snapdragon.
• The Exynos 2600 is expected to use Samsung’s upgraded 3nm GAP process, custom CPU cores, and a new AMD-backed Xclipse GPU, but those upgrades may stay local.
• The move contradicts earlier expectations of a broader Exynos comeback.

Samsung’s chipset shuffle returns, this time with a twist: the Exynos 2600 may ship only in Korea, while the rest of the world uses Snapdragon hardware.

What makes this shift interesting is how sharply it contradicts earlier reports that Samsung was gearing up for a broader Exynos comeback. Now, a new report from China suggests the company is quietly tightening its regional strategy and pulling back from a global rollout of its in-house chip (via GSMArena).

This change probably has to do with how the Exynos 2600 is performing in development. The chip should use Samsung’s improved 3nm GAP process, with a custom CPU and a new Xclipse GPU made with AMD. Samsung hopes this mix will finally deliver better thermal stability, stronger on-device AI, and improved power management.

But none of those improvements may reach buyers outside Samsung’s home market. Instead, only the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus in Korea are expected to be Exynos-powered, while global variants switch entirely to Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Competition could have forced Samsung's hand?

The reasoning behind this pivot is unclear, but it’s not hard to guess. The company has been working to restore trust in its Exynos chips after past issues with battery life and heat. By limiting the Exynos 2600 to Korea, Samsung can test its progress at home without risking more criticism from global users.

Competition may be another factor. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, with its new Oryon CPU, is a big upgrade. Using Snapdragon worldwide could help Samsung keep performance steady across all S26 models, especially in benchmarks and heat management, which are crucial in the high-end market.

If the report is accurate, the Galaxy S26 will launch with two different chips again. Korean customers will get Samsung’s latest Exynos, while everyone else will see Qualcomm’s flagship. Still, it’s rare for Samsung to limit Exynos to just one country, since it usually sells Exynos phones worldwide, especially in Europe. So, the final decision on this strategy is still up in the air.