Smartphone upgrades in 2026 are iterative by nature, and that is not at all times a nasty factor. It means the product class is mature and refined, so there merely is not as a lot room for main overhauls. One factor we will often anticipate from a brand new smartphone sequence is a brand new processor, and Samsung gave us that with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset within the Galaxy S26 sequence. We all know the chip powers the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Extremely — however what does the brand new processor really imply for you in real-world use?
This 12 months, we now have a transparent reply to that query. I ran the base-model Galaxy S26 and high-end Galaxy S26 Extremely by a gauntlet of benchmark assessments, and the outcomes present the “for Galaxy” branding of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is not only for present. There are actual optimizations right here, and Samsung’s revamped cooling system on the Galaxy S26 Extremely pays off massive time, particularly for avid gamers. In an unsurprising style, the Galaxy S26 lineup trounces the Pixel 10 sequence. I examined the Galaxy S26 fashions in opposition to the iPhone 17 Professional Max for good measure, too.
I discovered lots, reminiscent of that the bottom Galaxy S26 is definitely marginally sooner than the Extremely mannequin in some assessments. Listed here are all our findings, and what you must take away from them.
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The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Extremely aren’t equal
The bottom mannequin is barely higher in bursts, whereas the Extremely crushes sustained hundreds
All the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset in North America, China, and Japan. In all different areas, the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus use the Samsung Exynos 2600 cellular platform, whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely makes use of a Snapdragon chip globally. For the sake of those assessments, we’re utilizing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy model of the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Extremely. Nonetheless, because the outcomes present, there’s extra to a cellphone’s efficiency than merely what processor it contains.
For starters, each Galaxy S26 fashions examined carried out significantly higher than the last-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip discovered inside the Galaxy S25 sequence. That is shocking, as a result of main year-over-year efficiency positive factors are uncommon for cellular processor — particularly contemplating Snapdragon 8 Elite already carried out stellar. Nonetheless, Geekbench 6 single-core efficiency, we will see a virtually 1,000-point distinction between the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S26.
The hole is narrower in Geekbench AI, 3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle, and the Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check. Then, we see an identical hole between the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S26 within the CrossMark total benchmark rating. In layperson phrases, there’s a noticeable efficiency improve provided by the Galaxy S26 sequence. The bottom-model Galaxy S26 significantly improves upon graphics-based efficiency. In case you’re somebody that likes to sport or video edit in your smartphone, the Galaxy S26 will probably be higher at these duties than the Galaxy S25.
Geekbench 6 (single / multi / GPU)
Geekbench AI
3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle
Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check (Lowest / Greatest / Stability)
CrossMark (General / Productiveness / Creativity / Responsiveness)
Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,606 / 10,614 / 23,144
6,080
2,495
1,781 / 2,309 / 77.1%
2,512 / 2,068 / 1,890 / 10,550
Samsung Galaxy S26 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,613 / 10,860 / 23,149
5,111
2,566
1,585 / 2,292 / 72%
2,528 / 2,106 / 1,879 / 10,643
Samsung Galaxy S25 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy)
2,636 / 8,973 / 17,077
4,860
2,487
1,357 / 2,176 / 62.4%
1,800 / 1,859 / 1,827 / 1,562
Issues get fairly attention-grabbing when evaluating the Galaxy S26 to the Galaxy S26 Extremely. Each telephones use the identical chip and every has 12GB of reminiscence, so that you’d anticipate related efficiency. That was the case for benchmark assessments straining single-core and multi-core CPU efficiency in brief bursts. In reality, the base-model Galaxy S26 produced scores ever-so-slightly larger in assessments like Geekbench 6 and 3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle.
There’s a 1TB model of the Galaxy S26 Extremely with 16GB reminiscence, however I examined the 256GB configuration with 12GB reminiscence.
Once I moved to graphics-based stress assessments, the script flipped utterly. The 3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check is a good indicator of how a smartphone will carry out beneath heavy, extended hundreds. It is a 1440p gaming benchmark that runs for 20 consecutive laps, and it assessments a cellphone’s thermal threshold and consistency. Telephones with wonderful thermal administration will produce excessive lap scores persistently, whereas these with poor thermal administration will put up excessive scores initially however flame out as they overheat.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely has a redesigned vapor chamber for cooling the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, and Samsung additionally made the change from titanium to aluminum for the chassis. The revamped system locations thermal cooling materials on the edges of the processor, which permits “warmth to unfold extra effectively throughout a bigger floor space,” in response to Samsung. This is not simply advertising converse — the Galaxy S26 Extremely beat the base-model Galaxy S26 in stress assessments because of this.
Particularly, the Galaxy S26 Extremely was 5% extra steady than the Galaxy S26 within the stress take a look at, whereas recording larger minimal and most scores. One other space the place the Galaxy S26 Extremely pulled away from the bottom mannequin was within the Geekbench AI take a look at, because the higher-end variant produced a rating almost 1,000 factors larger. This tells us that the Galaxy S26 Extremely is best for gaming and on-device AI processing than the Galaxy S26, regardless of the 2 telephones utilizing the identical chip. By all indications, the brand new cooling system is to thank.
The Pixel 10 Professional was the largest loser
Benchmarks aren’t the whole lot, nevertheless it’s embarrassing to be this far behind
Let’s get one thing out of the best way: benchmarks aren’t the whole lot. We use them as a degree of comparability to see how units stack up in opposition to one another, however they’re just one level of reference. Your particular person use case will matter extra in figuring out whether or not your cellphone feels quick or gradual than how excessive of a benchmark rating it returns in a take a look at. With that disclaimer accounted for, it was gorgeous to see simply how far behind the Google Pixel 10 Professional is in comparison with the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Extremely.
Google upgraded the Pixel 10 Professional’s processor to the Tensor G5 platform this technology, and it was purported to be a giant deal. Whereas the corporate traditionally used Samsung Foundry to fabricate its systems-on-a-chip, the Tensor G5 was the primary to be made by TSMC and its superior 3nm course of node. It is the identical one Apple and Qualcomm use for his or her greatest chips, and there was hope Google would lastly shut the efficiency hole because of this. That did not occur.
The Pixel 10 Professional solely gained two classes of our benchmarking suite, however its small victories may shed some gentle on why individuals love Google telephones no matter their uncooked energy.
Geekbench 6 (single / multi / GPU)
Geekbench AI
3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle
Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check (Lowest / Greatest / Stability)
CrossMark (General / Productiveness / Creativity / Responsiveness)
Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,606 / 10,614 / 23,144
6,080
2,495
1,781 / 2,309 / 77.1%
2,512 / 2,068 / 1,890 / 10,550
Samsung Galaxy S26 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,613 / 10,860 / 23,149
5,111
2,566
1,585 / 2,292 / 72%
2,528 / 2,106 / 1,879 / 10,643
Google Pixel 10 Professional (Google Tensor G5)
2,125 / 4,943 / 4,581
3,596
1,007
954 / 1,004 / 95%
1,635 / 1,293 / 1,100 / 10,845
The Google Pixel 10 Professional misplaced by greater than 1,000 factors in Geekbench 6’s single-core take a look at. The Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Extremely each produced scores double and quadruple these of the Pixel 10 Professional in Geekbench 6’s multi-core and GPU assessments, respectively. Even the Geekbench AI take a look at that measures on-device AI processing efficiency, considered one of Google’s strengths, was a serious loss for the Pixel.
One among Google’s victories was within the stress take a look at, with a 95% stability ranking. Nonetheless, it is easy to be steady whenever you’re not sustaining the identical stage of efficiency as your opponents, so it is arduous to present Google a real win right here.
As an alternative, the extra telling outcome was the Pixel 10 Professional beating each the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Extremely in CrossMark’s Responsiveness class. This metric scores how effectively a cellphone responds to consumer enter in real-world duties and customary conditions. And regardless of all the facility within the Galaxy S26 sequence, it was the Pixel 10 Professional that proved to be probably the most responsive. It explains why Pixel customers love proudly owning their units regardless of these merchandise not performing effectively in each benchmark take a look at.
Samsung and Apple perfected efficiency
Neither the Galaxy S26 Extremely nor the iPhone 17 Professional Max draw back in benchmarks
Credit score: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf
After all, you in all probability need to understand how the Galaxy S26 sequence performs in opposition to the iPhone 17 Professional Max and its Apple A19 processor. It is a simple factor to handle — they’re each the very best Android and iOS have to supply. Every chipset is paired with 12GB of reminiscence, and every one wins in sure conditions. The iPhone 17 Professional Max persistently carried out higher in graphics-based duties and AI processing, whereas the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Extremely dealt with multi-core CPU efficiency assessments.
Geekbench 6 (single / multi / GPU)
Geekbench AI
3DMark Metal Nomad Gentle
Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check (Lowest / Greatest / Stability)
Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,606 / 10,614 / 23,144
6,080
2,495
1,781 / 2,309 / 77.1%
Samsung Galaxy S26 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy)
3,613 / 10,860 / 23,149
5,111
2,566
1,585 / 2,292 / 72%
iPhone 17 Professional Max (Apple A19 Professional)
3,801 / 9,740 / 45,978
6,542
2,567
1,912 / 2,558 / 74.8%
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely did survive prolonged hundreds higher than the iPhone 17 Professional Max, with 77.1% stability within the Metal Nomad Gentle Stress Check in comparison with 74.8%. In any other case, the outcomes do not conclusively show that both the Galaxy S26 Extremely or iPhone 17 Professional Max is quicker. They’re each industry-leading performers that may every crush the Pixel 10 Professional, however appear to land on equal footing in opposition to one another.
The outcomes paint a transparent image. In case you want a cellphone that may deal with thermals effectively for duties like gaming or video enhancing, get the Galaxy S26 Extremely. For those who need related efficiency however needn’t play demanding video games, the Galaxy S26 is there. In case you do not care about benchmarks within the slightest, the Pixel 10 Professional is for you. And people craving best-in-class energy with out switching to Android can seize the iPhone 17 Professional Max.
SoC
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Show
6.9-inch Dynamic Tremendous AMOLED 2X
RAM
12 or 16 GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Battery
5,000 mAh
Working System
Android
Samsung’s newest Galaxy S26 Extremely is yet one more iterative improve, however the small adjustments make a giant distinction. The model took dangers by including progressive options like Privateness Show and Horizontal Lock. Efficiency and battery life are nice, with the Galaxy S26 Extremely charging as much as 75% in simply half-hour over a cable. All instructed, it is a true flagship in each approach however one — lacking Qi2 assist looms giant.
