The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is slated to be Samsung’s next smartphone launch, and it’s likely just a few weeks away. The device has now been uncovered at the FCC and has a surprise component inside.
Typically, the FE devices run on Exynos chips, and that’s what we’re expecting to see with the Galaxy S26 FE. But the FCC filing does show that the Galaxy S26 FE is going to be using Qualcomm’s FastConnect technologies on board. It doesn’t specify which version of FastConnect it is going to be using, but it does mention it’s inside.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be using a Qualcomm chip, unfortunately. Samsung could be using some Qualcomm components in this phone, similar to what Apple does with the iPhone. Apple still uses Qualcomm’s modems in most of its iPhones, despite having built its own in-house modem.
Qualcomm FastConnect is essentially the company’s WiFi and Bluetooth acceleration system, and it does require a chip. The latest version of FastConnect is 8800, which “is designed to bring unmatched speeds and range for the agentic AI era. It integrates WiFi 8, Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT), UWB, and Thread in a single-chip 4×4 offering on a leading-edge 6nm process node.”
Could Samsung use the Exynos 2500 with an additional Qualcomm chip inside?
It’s very possible that Samsung will still use the Exynos 2500 inside, as it’ll be cheaper than using a Snapdragon chip, and in the current memory climate, this is something Samsung needs to think about. So it’s likely that it will have Qualcomm’s FastConnect chip on board, with the Exynos 2500.
It’s a very interesting way to do things for Samsung, but in this climate of memory prices skyrocketing, it is something we’ll likely see more of from other OEMs. It’s more unconventional with the silicon they put inside these devices, either to keep prices from rising or to have smaller price increases.
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