Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra Appear on Geekbench Ahead of Launch
The Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra have recently appeared on the Geekbench database ahead of their expected launch, which is rumored to take place on February 26, 2026, in San Francisco, with sales scheduled to begin in March 2026.
On Geekbench, the two devices are listed under model numbers SM-S948 (Galaxy S26 Ultra) and SM-S942 (standard Galaxy S26). Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Plus variant has already passed TUV certification, revealing details about its battery.
Based on the listings, both smartphones are believed to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset paired with the Adreno 840 GPU, as reported by GSMArena. Despite using the same chipset, the two models feature different clock speeds.
Interestingly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which sits at the top of the lineup, runs at a lower clock speed of 4.19 GHz. The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 configuration typically includes two high-performance cores clocked at 4.61 GHz. This apparent underclocking is likely intended to improve power efficiency and long-term thermal stability.
In contrast, the standard Galaxy S26 appears to be slightly overclocked, reaching 4.74 GHz, up from the usual 4.61 GHz. For both models, the remaining six CPU cores are clocked at 3.63 GHz.
In terms of benchmark results, the Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved 3,466 points in single-core and 11,035 points in multi-core tests. Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy S26 scored 3,378 points (single-core) and 11,097 points (multi-core). These results indicate that differences in clock speed do not translate into a significant performance gap.
Geekbench also reveals that both Galaxy S26 models will run Android 16 and come equipped with 12 GB of RAM. For the Ultra variant, Samsung is expected to once again offer a 16 GB RAM option, though likely limited to select regions.
Last year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra featured a 16 GB RAM variant in markets such as South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, while other regions were limited to 12 GB. A similar regional strategy appears likely for the S26 Ultra.
In addition to Qualcomm-powered models, Samsung is rumored to introduce a variant powered by the Exynos 2600, manufactured using a 2 nm process, for certain markets including South Korea and Europe.
According to Notebookcheck.net, a Geekbench listing for the Galaxy S26 (SM-S942B) equipped with the Exynos 2600 has already surfaced. The Exynos 2600 is expected to be the world’s first 2 nm chipset, featuring a 10-core CPU and the Samsung Xclipse 960 GPU.
Early benchmark data compares the Exynos 2600’s GPU performance against the Adreno 840 found in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, as used in the OnePlus 15. In Vulkan testing, the Xclipse 960 reportedly delivers around 88% of the Adreno 840’s performance, while OpenCL scores fall below 80%.
However, these early comparisons may not fully reflect final performance, as the Galaxy S26 is still expected to receive further software optimizations ahead of its official launch. That said, Samsung’s Exynos chips have historically struggled to compete with Snapdragon counterparts, particularly in terms of raw performance and thermal efficiency.
Opinion / Analysis Summary
The Geekbench leaks suggest that Samsung is prioritizing efficiency and stability over raw clock speed, especially with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The decision to underclock the Ultra model indicates a focus on thermal control and sustained performance, rather than chasing benchmark numbers.
Meanwhile, the small performance gap between the standard and Ultra variants shows that clock speed alone no longer defines flagship performance. More emphasis appears to be placed on software optimization and power management.
The potential return of Exynos for certain regions remains controversial. While the Exynos 2600’s 2 nm fabrication is technically impressive, early GPU benchmarks still place it behind Snapdragon solutions. Unless Samsung delivers major gains in optimization and thermals, regional performance disparities could once again become a concern for consumers.
Overall, the Galaxy S26 series seems to represent a refinement-focused generation, with Samsung aiming for balanced performance, efficiency, and long-term reliability rather than headline-grabbing hardware upgrades.
Comments
Post a Comment