The development phase for Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is well underway, following the formal announcement of the Galaxy S25 lineup. Speculations suggest that the new flagship will retain the same storage options as its predecessor, offering variants of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Notably, the device is expected to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chipset, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Exynos 2600 Testing and Production Challenges
In parallel, Samsung has been conducting test production for its Exynos 2600 processor using a 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) manufacturing process, which has shown improved yields of 30 percent. This figure, while an improvement from previous efforts, falls short of the 70 percent threshold needed for mass production. Consequently, the Exynos 2600 may not be ready in time for the S26 Ultra’s release.
Reports indicate that Samsung has lost the opportunity to mass-produce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, with TSMC now handling all associated orders. This situation further solidifies the likelihood that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will predominantly feature Qualcomm’s chipset upon its launch.
Support for the S-Pen will also be retained in the new model, addressing the interests of users who prefer utilizing this accessory. However, questions remain about whether Samsung will reinstate features previously available with the S-Pen that were removed from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Updates from Samsung on this matter are anticipated soon.
As the countdown to the release continues, Samsung faces significant pressure to improve its yield rates for the Exynos 2600. With a limited timeframe of approximately ten months to achieve this, the possibility of an exclusive Qualcomm launch remains high. Further developments on this front are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.