Why Samsung May Stick with Exynos Chipsets for Galaxy S26 Series in Europe Despite Performance Gaps

Samsung usually uses its own Exynos chipset for its hometown and the Snapdragon chipset for other markets. However, this trend changes this year. This year, Samsung uses the “Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy” chipset for all of its flagship Galaxy S25 family. No matter where you live, you will get a Galaxy S25 series phone with Snapdragon chips. The main reason behind this decision is the yield issues with Samsung’s own Exynos 2500 SoC. But it seems like Samsung will not continue this new trend in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. But the question arises here that Why Samsung May Stick with Exynos Chipsets for Galaxy S26 Series in Europe Despite Performance Gaps?
According to some latest reports, the upcoming Galaxy S26 models will have the Exynos 2600 chipset inside. Yes, due to the yield issues, these Exynos-powered S26 units might only be launching in Europe.
Why Samsung May Stick with Exynos Chipsets for Galaxy S26 Series in Europe Despite Performance Gaps
If this rumour is true, Europe will once again get the short end of the performance stick. For a while, Europe has been Samsung’s preferred market for Exynos chips, and it remains a mystery why. If this is due to the productivity issue on the Qualcomm side. Then it is also not a problem. As some reports claim that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will be ahead of the Exynos 2600, unsurprisingly.
Another reason of using Exynos chipsets in the latest models could be the loss the company faced. According to some reports, Samsung’s System LSI division, which designed the Exynos 2500, have incurred an estimated loss of around $400 million from the fact that Samsung hasn’t used that chip in the S25 family. So the company obviously wouldn’t want something like that repeated.
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Relying on both Exynos and Snapdragon also adds supply-chain flexibility, ensuring stable production even if Qualcomm faces shortages. Additionally, Samsung can customise Exynos chips more easily for European carriers and network bands. While Snapdragon may offer better peak performance, Exynos could provide better battery life and thermal efficiency in everyday use. Regulatory and market factors in Europe, such as a preference for tech independence and stricter data rules, may also make Exynos a better fit for that region.
Anyhow, Samsung itself has not revealed any information regarding this yet. The actual reason behind using the Exynos chipset again is unclear yet. But we will surely update you once we get more information about it.