launch the Galaxy S26 lineup on February 25 — a few weeks later than expected. The launch postponement is linked to Samsung’s rumored alterations in strategy for the upcoming flagship smartphones. The South Korean device manufacturer opted to retain the same three-model Galaxy S format as last year, bringing back the Galaxy S26 Plus model that was initially set to be replaced by the Galaxy S26 Edge. Samsung is also planning to incorporate the Exynos 2600 chip into more Galaxy S26 variants, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Reports from last month indicated that the new Exynos 2600 is considerably faster than Apple’s A19 Pro and may even rival the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that will be utilized in some Galaxy S26 models in selected regions.
Fast-forward to November, and a leaked benchmark for the Exynos 2600 appears to back up those assertions. If the metrics shown in the image are correct, the Exynos 2600 could deliver benchmark performance akin to the M5 chip that Apple introduced last month with the launch of the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro. These figures cannot be verified at this moment, as Samsung has not yet unveiled a device featuring the new Exynos 2600 processor. PhoneArena highlights that the purported Geekbench 6 test linked in the tweet above is no longer accessible. It has been removed or fabricated. Nonetheless, if the details are correct, the Galaxy S26 series could showcase an unexpectedly powerful processor, and not the one most
