Summary
- Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra have now appeared on FCC certification website.
- The listing reveals Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) coverage, suggesting support for Satellite Communications.
- The phones have been listed with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy instead of Exynos 2600.
Samsung has finally started officially teasing the Galaxy S26 series. However, that has not stopped leaks and rumours from surfacing. The recent one has arrived in the form of the lineup's FCC listing and interesting details.
Galaxy S26 series could feature satellite connection and Snapdragon chipset
First spotted by SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and the Galaxy S26 Ultra have emerged with the FCC IDs A3LSMS942U, ASLSMS947U and ASLSMS948U, respectively. Further, the listing has explicitly mentioned Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) coverage, indicating the presence of Satellite Communications.
Moreover, all three phones are also going to be compatible with 5G mmWave and Wi-Fi 7. However, none of the models rock the Exynos 2600 chipset, but bear a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.
This very likely indicates that, at least in the USA, the Galaxy S26 lineup will ship entirely with the flagship Qualcomm silicon. However, it is unclear as to why Samsung is sidelining its own chipset, as it can support satellite and Beidou networks. Moreover, the Exynos 2600 even has provision for precise satellite location tracking.
The most likely choice for Qualcomm in the USA could be due to the semiconductor brand's partnership with Skylo, a leading global NT service provider. As per reports, Skylo will be enabling the satellite connectivity feature of the Galaxy S26 series.
It has the widest network of extraterrestrial satellites available, which can connect directly to smartphones. However, this could also suggest that the feature is being limited to the USA since Skylo's satellite mesh is the most dense there.
That said, with the Galaxy S26 launch date reportedly scheduled for February 25, 2026, we will have to wait just for a few more weeks before everything becomes clear.
