For years, the smartphone chip dialog has been fairly easy. A cellphone with Snapdragon inside was nearly all the time assumed to be the higher possibility. If it had Exynos or MediaTek, the response was often extra uncertain. Qualcomm earned its status over time, however by 2026, that hierarchy not feels as strong.
MediaTek’s final couple of Dimensity 9000-series chips have been going neck and neck with Snapdragon 8-series SoCs, whereas Exynos has sometimes trailed behind each. Now, although, the race has develop into much more attention-grabbing.
My current time with the Galaxy S26, powered by Exynos 2600, has already shocked me when it comes to efficiency. And when you widen the lens to incorporate the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 within the S26 Extremely and the Dimensity 9500 in gadgets just like the Oppo Discover X9, the entire “Snapdragon mechanically equals higher” concept begins exhibiting some cracks.
BenchmarkGalaxy S26 (Exynos 2600)Galaxy S26 Extremely (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5)Oppo Discover X9 (Dimensity 9500)AnTuTu Total3,101,6543,638,2653,512,048Geekbench 6 Single-Core3,0363,5243,207Geekbench 6 Multi-Core10,53410,8239,3453DMark Wild Life Extreme6,3666,5197,1423DMark Wild Life Excessive Stress Take a look at Stability (%)53.563.254.9Temperature After Stress Take a look at (°C)40.238.739.2
Galaxy S26 was a pleasing shock
The best shock right here is that the Exynos 2600 doesn’t present up as some apparent weak hyperlink. In my testing, the bottom Galaxy S26 put up 3,036 single-core and 10,534 multi-core in Geekbench 6, plus an AnTuTu rating of two,859,177. Traditionally, Samsung launched its flagship gadgets in two variants. Traditionally, Samsung launched its flagship gadgets in two variants. North America, China, and Japan obtained Snapdragon variations, whereas the remainder of the world obtained Exynos processors. The corporate confronted a variety of criticism for that cut up as a result of older flagship fashions on Exynos chips typically fell behind their Snapdragon-powered counterparts.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Developments
That, together with chip manufacturing yield points, pushed Samsung to make just a few generations of Galaxy S telephones solely with Snapdragon processors. But it surely appears like Exynos is again. On 3DMark Wild Life Excessive, the Galaxy S26 scored 6366. The stress-test outcomes are somewhat extra blended, delivering 53.5% stability within the stress check. These are wholesome numbers for a smaller flagship, particularly one many individuals had been most likely able to dismiss the second they noticed “Exynos” on the spec sheet.
The S26 Extremely is quicker, however not by a lot
The Galaxy S26 Extremely nonetheless has benefits, and that’s probably not shocking. Its Wild Life Excessive Stress Take a look at posted a greatest loop rating of 6,519 and 63.2% stability, helped by its bigger vapor chamber cooling setup. So sure, the general thermal efficiency was higher, however not by the type of margin that utterly adjustments the dialog while you evaluate it with the usual S26. In each AnTuTu and Geekbench, the Galaxy S26 Extremely led the pack. Exynos nonetheless lags a bit, however the hole is not the sort you’ll discover in strange day-to-day efficiency.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Developments
The S26 Extremely is clearly quicker, however the distinction is nowhere close to as dramatic as older Snapdragon-versus-Exynos comparisons was once. Particularly while you evaluate the GeekBench scores, the efficiency is sort of similar. Even with out the upgraded cooling setup, the Galaxy S26 managed to remain surprisingly near the S26 Extremely within the stress check. The place the Extremely does pull forward extra clearly is stability, which issues extra when you begin speaking about sustained efficiency beneath load.
MediaTek is the half that makes the race enjoyable
The Dimensity 9500 within the Oppo Discover X9 Professional is what actually makes this dialog attention-grabbing. Its Geekbench 6 single-core rating of three,203 beats the bottom Galaxy S26, whereas its AnTuTu rating of three,512,048 edges forward as properly. On 3DMark Wild Life Excessive, it posted 7,142, which places it above each the S26 and the S26 Extremely.
Oppo
MediaTek is not exhibiting up because the “different” flagship chip model. It’s placing up top-tier numbers and staying in the identical dialog as Qualcomm and Samsung’s in-house silicon. For a very long time, Dimensity chips had been seen because the extra budget-friendly various powering cheaper mid-range and entry-level telephones. Outcomes like these present how a lot floor MediaTek has made up on the excessive finish. There’s nonetheless a weak level right here, which is the 54.9% stress-test stability, which trails the S26 Extremely.
Snapdragon nonetheless makes glorious chips, and the S26 Extremely proves that simply. However status alone is not an alternative to wanting on the precise outcomes. The Exynos 2600 has sufficient efficiency to not fall behind anymore, and the Dimensity 9500 is shut sufficient in uncooked horsepower to make the flagship chip race really feel correctly aggressive once more.
