TL;DR
Leaked Geekbench entries for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, shared by leaker Ice Universe, suggest US models running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 outperform Samsung’s Exynos chips. The S26 Ultra appears to be a clear step up from the S25 Ultra but still trails the OnePlus 15 in these alleged results.
What happened
As Samsung’s Galaxy S26 family approaches its expected late-February reveal, Geekbench scores purportedly for the S26 Ultra have surfaced, shared by leaker Ice Universe via Phone Arena. The listings point to US variants equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 5, showing a noticeable performance improvement over last year’s S25 Ultra. Despite the gains, the leaked figures still leave the S26 Ultra short of the OnePlus 15’s benchmark marks. Earlier leaks had suggested the Exynos 2600 might close the performance gap with Snapdragon, but the latest alleged Snapdragon results appear to restore Qualcomm’s lead for this generation. The story notes the overall chipset race is narrowing, however, and suggests observers should watch developments in 2027. Other Galaxy S26 details have leaked previously, including a reported Privacy Display, and the broader device lineup is said to be largely known ahead of the launch.
Why it matters
- Chipset performance often determines real-world speed, battery behavior, and thermal limits for flagship phones.
- If US models keep Snapdragon while other regions run Exynos, buyers could see meaningful regional differences in performance.
- A renewed Snapdragon lead could shape perceptions of Samsung’s chip strategy and pressure Exynos development.
- A narrowing gap between vendors suggests closer competition in future generations rather than a decisive dominance now.
Key facts
- Alleged Geekbench scores for the Galaxy S26 Ultra were shared by leaker Ice Universe (via Phone Arena).
- The leaked entries indicate the US S26 Ultra uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 5.
- Those results are reportedly a significant upgrade over the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s benchmark numbers.
- The S26 Ultra’s alleged scores still fall short of the OnePlus 15 in the same leak comparisons.
- Earlier leaked benchmarks had shown the Exynos 2600 performing well, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 widened the gap again.
- Samsung’s Galaxy S26 range is expected to launch in late February, according to the reporting.
- Other S26-related leaks mentioned in reporting include a purported Privacy Display; broader device details are largely leaked ahead of launch.
What to watch next
- Official benchmark and performance data released at Samsung’s S26 launch (not confirmed in the source).
- Whether Exynos will close the gap in subsequent updates or in 2027 (not confirmed in the source).
- Regional chipset allocations and any announced variations between US and international models (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Geekbench: A popular cross-platform benchmarking tool that measures CPU performance and reports single-core and multi-core scores.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite 5: Qualcomm’s high-end mobile system-on-chip family used in flagship Android phones; provides CPU, GPU, and modem functions.
- Exynos 2600: Samsung’s in-house mobile system-on-chip series; used in some regional variants of Galaxy phones.
- Benchmark: A standardized test used to evaluate the performance of hardware or software under controlled conditions.
Reader FAQ
Are the Geekbench scores confirmed?
The scores are presented as alleged leaks from Ice Universe via Phone Arena and are not independently verified in the source.
Will the Galaxy S26 use Snapdragon chips?
Leaked results indicate US models will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5, according to the reporting.
Does Exynos outperform Snapdragon in the S26 generation?
The source suggests Exynos will not surpass Snapdragon this year and that Snapdragon has opened up a lead; a full reversal is not reported.
When will Samsung officially reveal the Galaxy S26?
A late February launch is described as likely in the reporting.
Snapdragon is still beating Exynos in alleged Samsung Galaxy S26 benchmarks By Mark Jansen Published 27 minutes ago Mark has almost a decade of experience reporting on mobile technology, working…
Sources
- Snapdragon is still beating Exynos in alleged Samsung Galaxy S26 benchmarks
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ditches Snapdragon for Exynos 2600
- Galaxy S26 series reportedly goes all-in on Exynos 2600 …
- Samsung's custom Exynos chip might bring its Galaxy S26 …
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