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Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Said to Feature External Modem on Models With Exynos 2600 SoC

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Said to Feature External Modem on Models With Exynos 2600 SoC

Samsung Galaxy S26 series is reportedly set to launch globally, including in India, in February 2026.

Written by Dhruv Raghav, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 23 December 2025 12:48 IST

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Said to Feature External Modem on Models With Exynos 2600 SoC

Photo Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S26 series is expected to succeed this year's Galaxy S25 lineup (pictured)

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Highlights

Samsung Galaxy S26 series is expected to launch in early 2026
Samsung Galaxy S26 series could feature the Exynos 2600 chip
The company has yet to confirm the launch

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series of smartphones is expected to be launched by the South Korean tech giant next February, during its next Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event. The lineup is expected to include three models, which could be marketed as the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung recently released its flagship Exynos 2600 chipset, which is claimed to be the world's first SoC built on a 2nm process. Now, a tipster claims that the latest SoC, which is expected to power the Galaxy S26 series, will feature an external modem.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Might Ship With Reduced Power Efficiency

Tipster Erencan Yılmaz (@erenylmaz075) has spotted in an unspecified firmware version that Samsung's flagship Exynos 2600 chipset will feature an external modem, dubbed Shannon 5410. This is unlike the SoC's predecessors, the Exynos 2500 and Exynos 2400, which feature integrated Shannon 5163 and Shannon 5153 modems, respectively.

To support his claims, the leaker pointed out that the two modems, on the Exynos 2500 and Exynos 2400, appeared in the source code with “AP” written next to them, which stands for Application Processor. However, the same was not mentioned next to the Shannon 5410 modem.

Here's When the Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Could Reach Stores in 2026

Citing an official from the semiconductor design industry, TheElec reports that “generally,” if an OEM places a modem separately, it results in a greater loss of power efficiency in comparison to chips with integrated modems. The publication states that this is due to the increased communication distance between different interfaces. The executive said that Samsung likely decided to equip its phones with an external modem because of the chip size, and not because it has made a “groundbreaking change in interface technology”.

While an external move might reduce the power efficiency on the handsets, previous reports suggest that the South Korean tech giant is planning to equip the Galaxy S26 with a slightly larger battery. The standard model is said to pack a 4,300mAh cell, going up from 4,000mAh on the Galaxy S25. However, the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra are expected to be backed by 4,900mAh and 5,000mAh cells, which is the same as their predecessors.

The latest development comes soon after Samsung launched the Exynos 2600 chipset, which it claims is the world's first to be built on a 2nm process. Its current competitors, like Qualcomm and MediaTek, currently offer the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 chips, both of which use 3nm nodes. The new Samsung chip ships with advanced Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology, integrating the CPU, GPU, and NPU into a single platform. The company claims that this will offer enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) execution and gaming performance.

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Further reading: Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S26 Series, Exynos 2600, Samsung

Dhruv Raghav

Email Dhruv Raghav

Dhruv Raghav is currently working as a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets360. He has previously covered the North American financial markets as a Headline News Correspondent for a major news agency. After taking a sabbatical to prepare for the Civil Services examination, he returned to journalism to cover tech policy, with a special focus on AI laws and online gaming regulation. Now, he is back in Gadgets360 to write features and edit stories. To unwind, he likes to spend time with his PS5, listening ...More