Samsung acknowledges hearing negative feedback and commits to improving the Galaxy S26 chipset.

      The Exynos 2600 is approaching its launch, but it remains unclear which devices in the S26 series it will be included in.

      Samsung has announced the chipset that will likely power at least some models of the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. Although details are sparse, the company promises a notable upgrade over the previous version.

      Named the Exynos 2600, a 30-second teaser video from Samsung claims that the new chip has been “refined at the core,” “optimized at every level,” and will “express the exceptional.”

      There are speculations that Samsung might reintroduce its own chipset for the Galaxy S26 series, although it could be limited to the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. Some reports indicate that the S26 Ultra may only use a Snapdragon processor.

      A return to form?

      The reputation of Samsung’s Exynos chips has been inconsistent, with earlier iterations facing problems related to overheating and performance.

      This has led Samsung to adopt a dual-chip strategy in the past, supplying some regions with the latest flagship phones equipped with its Exynos chip, while others, like the US, received the same phones with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors instead.

      In recent years, Samsung has completely abandoned this dual-chip approach for certain models, as seen in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, and the entire S25 series, all of which only featured Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.

      However, Samsung has not disregarded calls for improvements to its Exynos line, as mentioned in the teaser video, “In silence, we listened.”

      While the quote may sound somewhat ominous, there is hope that the company has acknowledged past issues with its earlier models and has developed a powerful competitor in the 2600.

      Ultimately, the true test will come with the Galaxy S26 launch, anticipated for mid-to-late January, when we can assess whether the Exynos 2600 meets the performance expectations for a flagship chipset.

      In the meantime, while awaiting the Galaxy S26, consider checking out Samsung’s latest foldable device, the Galaxy Z Trifold, featuring its unique hinge system.

      John serves as Managing Editor at Digital Trends and has over a decade of experience as a consumer technology and automotive journalist.

      The popular Haribo power bank you might be using could pose a fire hazard.

      An assessment by Lumafield has revealed significant internal battery defects in the widely sold Haribo 20,000 mAh power bank (along with its earphones), which likely contributed to its removal from online stores. The scans showed misaligned battery cells with electrodes either folded or warped instead of being properly stacked.

      This article is sponsored by Apple.

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      Your Android hotspot is about to experience a major speed boost.

      Normally, users have access to the congested 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands for hotspots, which are adequate but not especially fast. Now, Google is enabling the 6GHz band for Android hotspots — a considerably faster option utilized by Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

      Pixel users can already locate this feature in the settings (Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering). However, there’s a caveat: while 6GHz offers impressive speed, it doesn't perform well through walls and has a shorter range. Additionally, many older devices like laptops or tablets may not even support it.