The Galaxy S26 could be affected by Samsung's new strategy. 

Updated: Dec 22, 2025, 12:36 PM 

Samsung's newly introduced Exynos 2600 chip, set to power the Galaxy S26 models in South Korea, Asia, and Europe, notably lacks a built-in modem. This reliance on a standalone modem may result in reduced power efficiency for the devices.

An Inefficient Design ?

Following ongoing critiques of the Galaxy S24's Exynos 2400, Samsung opted to equip all Galaxy S25 models with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. The company revisited its approach with the 2nm Exynos 2600, incorporating ARM’s latest cores and the innovative Heat Path Block (HPB) technology. While Samsung claims the chip is 39 percent more powerful and significantly more energy-efficient, specific improvements over its predecessor have not yet been disclosed.

Reports from The Elec and leaker Erencan Yılmaz indicate that the Exynos 2600 will feature an external Shannon 5410 modem, unlike the integrated modems found in the Exynos 2400 and Exynos 2500.

Integrating multiple components like the CPU, GPU, NPU, and modem onto a single silicon chip enhances communication via shorter internal connections, which helps to lower power consumption and heat generation. Fewer separate chips also save space. Conversely, partitioning functionalities across different chips can hinder efficiency, as data must travel between components.

It appears that Samsung opted for a modular design due to the high number of components in the Exynos 2600, removing the modem to create more space. This design may lead to lower performance per watt, potentially affecting the battery life of the Galaxy S26. This could explain why Samsung has not detailed specific efficiency gains. Notably, the 2nm process is reported to improve power efficiency by 8 percent compared to the 3nm technology.

One Step Forward, One Step Back

The HPB technology in the Exynos 2600 utilizes High-k EMC material to disperse internal heat more efficiently, maintaining a stable internal temperature. This could alleviate some throttling issues experienced with the Exynos 2400. However, considering that the design change could compromise energy efficiency, it remains uncertain whether the advantages of HPB will be negated.

Even if the Exynos 2600’s low-power design effectively manages temperature, the external modem might still lead to increased power consumption and faster battery drainage. This is concerning, especially since only the standard model is anticipated to have a larger battery.

Did Samsung Miss the Mark Again?

Samsung's Exynos chips have gained a reputation for underperformance compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon offerings due to overheating problems. With the Exynos 2600 representing the first 2nm smartphone chip globally, along with its innovative HPB technology, it seemed Samsung was finally on track to create a chip that could compete with Snapdragon. Nonetheless, with these recent developments, doubts linger regarding improvements.

That said, Apple's iPhones, which also utilize external modems, manage to maintain impressive battery life, suggesting that the Exynos 2600's design isn’t necessarily a guaranteed failure in efficiency.