MediaTek has completely transformed its Dimensity lineup, and the new Dimensity 9500 proves it. The latest Dimensity flagship goes toe-to-toe with the absolute best from Qualcomm and Apple. On the flip side, while Samsung’s Exynos line has historically struggled, the Exynos 2600 feels like a massive leap forward rather than just another boring annual refresh.

The Exynos 2600 is the company’s first smartphone processor to feature an “all-big” CPU design, allowing the chip to unlock higher performance. It’s also the world’s first smartphone chipset fabricated using a 2nm process, further adding to performance and efficiency. Historically, MediaTek chips have outperformed Exynos chips, but this time, the battle looks more intense.

Let’s compare them to see whether the advanced node and all-big CPU design can help the Exynos 2600 beat MediaTek’s rival, the Dimensity 9500.

Here’s the spec sheet to begin with:

Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: Benchmark numbers

Note: To obtain the benchmark results, the tests were performed using these devices:
– Vivo X300 Pro (Dimensity 9500)
– Galaxy S26 Plus (Exynos 2600)

Geekbench score

In the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the Dimensity 9500 achieves a 13% higher single-core score. In the multi-core test, however, the Exynos 2600 is ahead, but the gap is just too small to create a major difference.

AnTuTu score

The Dimensity 9500 puts up a strong total on AnTuTu, scoring over 3.5 million points, whereas the Exynos 2600 scores 3.2 million points. While it shows the Dimensity chip is stronger, it’s the breakdown of the AnTuTu score that offers more clarity.

The all-big 10-core CPU on the Exynos chip gets about 3.6% higher AnTuTu score than the Dimensity 9500’s 8-core CPU. However, the latter bounces back strongly in the GPU test with a 16% higher score.

3DMark score

Wild Life Extreme Test

The 3DMark benchmark also confirms that the Dimensity 9500 has a more powerful GPU. There isn’t a big difference in the best loop score, but the Dimensity chip has a much better lowest loop score. This means higher gaming stability on the Dimensity 9500-powered smartphone.

In all benchmark tests we’ve run so far, the Dimensity 9500 is more powerful than the Exynos 2600. But there’s more than just the performance. It’s also important to understand the differences in camera capabilities, connectivity, and other key aspects.

Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: Key differences that matter

Performance

CPU

The Dimensity 9500 utilizes TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm node, whereas the Exynos 2600 is manufactured using Samsung’s 2nm process. Besides, their CPU configurations also differ. The Dimensity chip has an 8-core layout, featuring one C1-Ultra, three C1-Premium, and four C1-Pro cores.

In contrast, the Exynos 2600 has two additional CPU cores but skips the C1-Premium cores. The 10-core setup includes one C1-Ultra, three C1-Pro, and six C1-Pro cores.

Even with fewer CPU cores, the Dimensity 9500 outperforms the Exynos 2600 in some benchmark tests. That’s because of higher clock speeds and the performance-friendly C1-Premium cores.

GPU

The Dimensity 9500 features a 12-core Mali-G1 Ultra graphics unit, offering superior performance and stability compared to the Xclipse 960 GPU on the Exynos 2600. But when it comes to ray tracing performance, the Exynos chip shines.

The Dimensity chip is widely praised for cooler thermals. On the other hand, Exynos chips have faced major overheating issues, but the latest Exynos 2600 dramatically improves this by introducing the Heat Path Block (HPB). It’s a hardware component located directly over the hottest areas of the main processing unit.

Furthermore, the Dimensity 9500 offers a full suite of MediaTek HyperEngine Gaming Technology, improving latency, frame rates, and power consumption. The Exynos chip benefits from Samsung’s partnership with AMD, which focuses on optimizing game engines like Unity and Unreal for this architecture.

NPU

The Dimensity 9500 comes with an upgraded MediaTek NPU 990 with agentic AI capabilities. MediaTek says it’s twice as powerful as the previous generation, with 56% better power efficiency, and is designed to handle complex, multi-step tasks in the background. The new NPU can generate 4K images from text.

The Exynos 2600 also brings major NPU upgrades compared to the Exynos 2500, including 113% faster generative AI performance and significantly reduced power consumption and latency. The NPU also helps with resolution upscaling and frame generation.

Camera

Both chipsets boast high-end camera features, but there are several key things to note. The Dimensity 9500 integrates an NPU-assisted 30fps focus-tracking engine, ensuring a clear shot in every frame. It also has a powerful denoise technology for 200MP photo captures.

The Exynos 2600 focuses on real-time element recognition and severe low-light optimization, backed by its on-device AI enhancements. It integrates an AI-based Visual Perception System (VPS) that allows the ISP to recognize detailed elements within images and videos in real time.

The Exynos chip also features Deep Learning Video Noise Reduction (DVNR) to enhance clarity in low-light conditions and supports the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec.

Connectivity

The Dimensity 9500 has an integrated 5G modem, whereas the Exynos 2600 relies on a separate, external component for connectivity. Both chips offer robust, modern connectivity features, but there’s a big difference in the download speed.

On a 5G connection, the Dimensity chip can reach up to 7.4Gbps of download speed, while the Exynos chip can reach 2X of that, up to 14.79Gbps. The Dimensity chip excels in peak Wi-Fi 7 speeds, offering up to 7.3Gbps (versus 4.9Gbps on the Exynos 2600).

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The Exynos 2600 is the first chipset to use Samsung’s 2nm process, promising upgrades to both performance and efficiency, thanks to advanced lithography, increased nanosheet count, and improved gate control. However, things haven’t gone Samsung’s way, as the chip ended up drawing 30W at peak, making its rival, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (21W), significantly more power-efficient.

YouTube channel TechStation365 performed a series of tests on Galaxy S26 (powered by Exynos 2600), OnePlus 15 (powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5), and Motorola Signature (powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 5). For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on Geekbench 6 and a Decompression Test (for a 20GB ZIP file), which reveal rather interesting results.

Both the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 have a peak power draw of around 21W, while the Exynos 2600 reaches 30W, which is a pretty significant gap, even though the power draw may have just been for a few seconds. This also means the Exynos 2600 will perform poorly under sustained workloads due to increased power draw.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

• Single core: 3,641 points
• Multi core: 10,902 points
• Peak power draw: 21.48W

Exynos 2600

• Single core: 3,271 points
• Multi core: 10,745 points
• Peak power draw: 30.22W

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

• Single core: 2,904 points
• Multi core: 9,443 points
• Peak power draw: 21.89W

Even in the Decompression Test, the Exynos 2600 didn’t see any efficiency improvements. It reached up to 7.8W in peak power consumption, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are below 5W. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 also takes less time to decompress.

The results pretty much confirm that TSMC still has a solid upper hand in chip efficiency over Samsung. YouTube channel TechStation365 has concluded that the Exynos 2600 is a power-hungry chipset, as those 10-cores require a little more juice to perform optimally. Hopefully, we’ll see some real efficiency upgrades in Exynos 2700.

Check the complete video here.

Also read: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: The flagship showdown

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Samsung has just released the Exynos 2600 with the Galaxy S26 series, and it feels like a real upgrade rather than just an annual refresh. The CPU now features all big cores, the GPU’s performance has improved dramatically, and the connectivity speed is just unmatched.

While the Exynos 2600 brings serious upgrades over the Exynos 2500, the real question is: how does it perform against its biggest rivals, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500? We’ll look at the spec sheet, benchmark numbers, and important differences to figure it out.

Here’s the spec sheet to begin with:

Quick verdict:

Choose Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 if you want the best overall performance, stronger gaming power, and the most complete flagship experience.
Choose Dimensity 9500 if you care more about better gaming stability under heavy load and strong Wi-Fi 7 performance.
Choose Exynos 2600 if you want a more balanced chip with solid everyday performance, strong memory results, and promising efficiency and connectivity upgrades.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: Benchmark numbers

Note: To obtain the benchmark results, the tests were performed using these devices:
– Galaxy S26 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5)
– Vivo X300 Pro (Dimensity 9500)
– Galaxy S26 Plus (Exynos 2600)

Geekbench score

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers the best result in the Geekbench CPU test. It scored 3725 points in the single-core test, which is about 7% higher than the Dimensity 9500 (3452 points) and about 22% higher than the Exynos 2600 (3040 points).

In multi-core performance, however, the Exynos 2600 delivers a noticeably better score than the Dimensity 9500, scoring 10,290 points (vs. 10,128). The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is miles ahead of them with a total score of 11,318 points.

AnTuTu score

On the AnTuTu platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has scored close to 3.9 million points, putting it well ahead of the other two. The Dimensity 9500 scored 3.5 million, and the Exynos 2600 scored 3.2 million.

More important is the breakdown of the total score, which offers clearer insights. It shows a stronger CPU for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which scored 1.16 million points, followed by the Exynos 2600 (1.06 million points) and the Dimensity 9500 (1.03 million points).

The Snapdragon chip also scores the highest in the GPU test among the three chips, with a total of 1.56 million. The Dimensity 9500 is just behind it with 1.41 million score, while the gap widens with Exynos 2600, which has scored just 1.21 million points. Memory performance, however, favors the Exynos chip over the other two.

3DMark score

Wild Life Extreme performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 takes the top spot here as well with the best score of 7786. The Dimensity 9500 sits below it with 7,163 points, and then comes the Exynos 2600  with 7,061 points. However, the order changes in the low score.

The Dimensity 9500 surprises with the best low score of 4,092 points. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 achieve a low score of 3,753 and 3,280, respectively. This results in better stability on Dimensity 9500.

According to benchmark results we’ve seen so far, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers much more promising CPU and GPU performance than the other two, while the competition between the Dimensity 9500 and Exynos 2600 is closer.

The benchmarks alone do not tell the full story; therefore, we’ve included a section below that discusses the camera, connectivity, and other important aspects.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: The differences you should know

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 were announced in September 2025, built using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process node. Three months later, the Exynos 2600 arrived as the world’s first mobile chipset to use the 2nm GAA process, offering enhanced efficiency and thermals.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers an 8-core CPU, featuring third-generation Oryon cores, while the Dimensity’s 8-core CPU includes ARM’s C1-Ultra, C1-Premium, and C1-Pro cores. Unlike them, the Exynos 2600 features a 10-core CPU comprising C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores.

The Snapdragon chip offers the highest peak clocked speed of 4.6 GHz, while the Dimensity 9500 peaks at 4.21 GHz and the Exynos 2600 peaks at 3.8 GHz. This helps the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 achieve better performance during demanding tasks.

For graphics-intensive workloads, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 relies on the Adreno 840 GPU, which delivers excellent gaming performance and ray tracing capabilities. Plus, it comes with a full suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming features to further enhance the gaming performance, stability, and battery efficiency.

The other two chips, the Dimensity 9500 and Exynos 2600, also deliver smooth gaming performance and support ray tracing. Plus, they integrate a range of features to improve the frame rate and the overall performance. Notably, the Exynos 2600 features Heat Path Block (HPB) for the first time on a mobile chipset, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 rely on phone-level passing cooling solutions, such as vapor chambers and graphite sheets.

AI and NPU

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 features a hexagon NPU with agentic AI capabilities, enabling a proactive, on-device AI assistant for a personalised experience. The Dimensity 9500 with MediaTek NPU 990 NPU also supports agentic AI, but it isn’t explicitly mentioned on the Exynos 2600 official page. However, the latter, with 32K MAC NPU, offers on-device inference, Visual Perception System for proactive camera AI, and Nota AI integration for enhanced offline processing.

Camera and connectivity

All three chips feature advanced triple ISPs with support for up to 320MP single camera, real-time semantic segmentation, and 8K video recording. The Snapdragon and Exynos chips also offer Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for lossless pro-level video capture and editing on smartphones.

On the connectivity side, there are several crucial differences. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 have integrated 5G modems, while the Exynos 2600 uses an external modem for better manufacturing yields and improved power efficiency. Furthermore, the Exynos chip excels at peak upload and download speeds over a 5G connection, while the Dimensity 9500 offers the highest Wi-Fi 7 speeds. The Snapdragon chip benefits from a mature modem with superior carrier integration.

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Exynos 2600 is not just another new chip from Samsung; it’s a seriously powerful mobile processor built using the advanced 2nm process node. Samsung has switched to an all-big-core CPU design to offer greater CPU performance. The GPU also promises significantly better compute performance and ray tracing.

The Exynos 2600 is a true upgrade over its predecessor, Exynos 2500, but how does it fare against Qualcomm’s high-end chipsets, such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite? We recently compared it with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (read it here), and the battle was pretty intense, even though it couldn’t outperform the Snapdragon chip. So, we decided to test whether the Exynos 2600 can outperform the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite: Benchmark score

Note: For benchmark results, the tests were conducted on the Galaxy S26 Plus (Exynos 2600) and the Galaxy S25 Plus (Snapdragon 8 Elite).

Geekbench score (v6)

The Exynos 2600 scores higher on Geekbench than the Snapdragon 8 Elite, though the difference is minimal. The gap widens in the multi-core performance, where the Exynos 2600 achieves about 6% higher score.

AnTuTu score (v11)

On the AnTuTu benchmark, the Exynos 2600 scores over 3.21 million, slightly higher than the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s 3.16 million.

The AnTuTu score breakdown shows a 10% higher CPU score for the Exynos 2600, while the GPU scores doesn’t show a big jump. The Exynos chip also delivers stronger memory performance, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite leads in the user experience (UX) test.

3DMark score

Wild Life Extreme Test

We also ran the chips through the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test to better understand the gaming performance. On this platform, the Exynos 2600 scored 6,674 points, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite stayed behind with 6,527 points.

While the Exynos 2600 leads here, the difference isn’t significant. Keep in mind that the cooling solution and software turning on a device could also make a big difference.

In all the benchmark tests we have run, the Exynos 2600 has outperformed the Snapdragon 8 Elite, even though the differences haven’t been significant. But they leave some important aspects untouched, including the camera and connectivity. Let’s look at those details to get a better picture.

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite: Key differences

Manufacturing process

Exynos 2600 is the industry’s first 2nm GAA mobile processor, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite is built on TSMC’s 3nm (N3E) process, which relies on an advanced FinFET architecture. It offers the Exynos chip a slight advantage in sustained performance and efficiency.

CPU, GPU, & NPU

The Exynos 2600 features a 10-core CPU with C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores. In contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is equipped with an 8-core CPU, featuring second-generation Oryon cores at a higher peak clock speed.

For handling graphics workloads, the Exynos 2600 relies on the Exynos Xclipse 960 GPU, which supports ray tracing, and Exynos Neural Super Sampling for real-time resolution upscaling and frame generation during gaming. The Snapdragon 8 Elite also ships with a powerful Adreno 830 GPU with excellent ray tracing capabilities, and a full suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming features.

Both chips also integrate advanced NPUs for on-device AI capabilities: an AI engine with 32K MAC NPU on Exynos 2600 and a Hexagon NPU on the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Camera

The camera also receives several notable upgrades with Exynos 2600, including a new AI-based Visual Perception System (VPS) that integrates AI-driven computer vision directly into the ISP pipeline for real-time scene analysis, semantic segmentation, and multi-frame processing. The Snapdragon 8 Elite uses an 18-bit Spectra ISP (AI-ISP) with numerous features, including limitless semantic segmentation at 4K resolution, on-device video object eraser, and real-time skin/sky adjustments.

Connectivity

Both flagship processors offer robust connectivity features, but there are still notable differences. The Exynos 5410 modem on the Exynos chip offers up to 14.79Gbps download speed and up to 4.9Gbps upload speed, while the Snapdragon X80 modem on the Snapdragon 8 Elite peaks at 10Gbps download speed and 3.5Gbps upload speed. The rest of the connectivity features are mostly the same.

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Samsung’s Exynos chipsets have historically been less powerful than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets. The latter has always dominated key aspects, including CPU, GPU, and connectivity. However, the newly-released Exynos 2600 narrows the gap significantly. In fact, it outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on several benchmarks.

In this detailed comparison, we’ll make sense of the benchmark scores and dive into the key differences to understand how the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 stack up against each other.

Let’s begin with a quick look at the spec sheet:

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Benchmark scores

Since the Galaxy S26 trio has yet to reach Gizmochina’s house, we used NL Tech’s benchmark data. The Galaxy S26+ (Exynos 2600) and Galaxy S26 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) were used in the testing.

Geekbench score (v6)

On Geekbench, the Exynos 2600 posts lower scores than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. In the single-core test, the Snapdragon gets about 18% higher score, while the difference in multi-core scores is just 4%.

AnTuTu score (v11)

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 shines on AnTuTu too, posting a total score close to 3.4 million (vs. 2.66 million on Exynos 2600). That 27% uplift in total score for the Snapdragon chip is also reflected in the CPU and GPU scores.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 also achieves a significantly higher score in the memory test, while the Exynos 2600 scores 3% higher in the user experience test.

3DMark score

Wild Life Extreme Stress Test

Benchmark results from the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test show that the Exynos 2600 performs on par with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. There isn’t a big gap in stability either.

Solar Bay Extreme Stress Test

The Exynos 2600 surprisingly outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Solar Bay Extreme Stress Test, which means that the latest phones have excellent ray tracing performance.

Now that we’re aware of the benchmark data, let’s dig further into the key differences to get a clearer picture.

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Key differences

The Exynos 2600 was announced in December 2025 as the world’s first smartphone chipset to use a 2nm process. The chip has been built by Samsung, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has been built by TSMC using its 3nm node.

CPU, GPU, and NPU

The Exynos 2600 features a 10-core CPU, which includes one C1-Ultra prime core and nine C1-Pro high-performance cores. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 uses a custom-designed Oryon CPU, featuring two Oryon prime cores (third-gen) and six Oryon performance cores (third-gen).;

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 benefits from a higher peak CPU speed, which is one of the reasons it scored higher in the single-core test on Geekbench. For graphics-intensive tasks, the Exynos 2600 relies on the Xclipse 960 GPU, while the Snapdragon chip uses the Adreno 840 GPU.

Both chipsets have highly capable GPUs with strong ray tracing capabilities. However, the Exynos 2600 may have an edge, as seen in 3DMark tests.

The Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 feature advanced NPUs optimized for on-device generative AI. They also use AI to optimize connectivity, camera, and many other aspects.

Camera

The Exynos 2600 introduces an AI-powered Visual Perception System (VPS), which integrates with the ISP for real-time scene analysis, object recognition, and noise reduction. This enables ultra-high-res processing at 60fps with over 50% better power efficiency than the Exynos 2500.

The Exynos chip features Deep Learning Video Noise Reduction (DVNR) for noise reduction in low-light conditions and supports hybrid OIS + AI-EIS for better stabilization.

On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers 20-bit triple AI-ISPs, delivering 4x dynamic range, real-time semantic segmentation with up to 250 layers, and direct NPU access to raw sensor data for on-device AI processing. Additionally, the chip offers a range of features to further improve the camera output, including object eraser, skin/sky tone enhancements, Night Vision 3.0, video object eraser, and Snapdragon Audio Sense.

Connectivity

The Exynos 2600 features a redesigned connectivity setup with an external modem (Exynos Modem 5410), offloading cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth from the main 2nm die to improve the thermal efficiency and space for CPU/GPU.

The Exynos chip supports a higher peak download speed of 14.79Gbps (vs. 12.5Gbps) and a higher peak upload speed of 4.9Gbps (vs. 3.7Gbps) on a cellular connection compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

The Snapdragon chip features an integrated Snapdragon X85 5G modem with FastConnect 7900 for robust connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 supports a peak speed of 5.8Gbps. Furthermore, the chip includes AI-powered optimizations for traffic prioritization, seamless Wi-Fi/cellular switching, and enhanced satellite support.

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Which is a better choice?

Since we haven’t yet tested an Exynos 2600-powered Samsung phone, it’s difficult to say whether it’s the same story this year or if the Exynos 2600 completely outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. However, based on the benchmark data and spec sheet, the Exynos 2600 appears to be significantly better than its predecessor, particularly in gaming performance.

The Exynos chip also introduces major camera upgrades, including Deep Learning Video Noise Reduction. It now features a redesigned connectivity system with an external modem, which claims to improve thermal efficiency.

That said, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 still delivers strong CPU performance and features a mature ISP with excellent imaging capabilities. Its robust connectivity system with better carrier support also makes a notable difference.

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Just a day after its global unveiling at Galaxy Unpacked, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is already being put through its paces. And as expected, the Snapdragon vs Exynos debate is back — though this time, the gap doesn’t look quite as dramatic as in previous years.

It’s also worth noting that the Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s first chip built on its 2nm GAA process, while the Snapdragon variant continues to rely on TSMC’s mature 3nm node. In a way, these early results aren’t just about Qualcomm vs Exynos — they’re also an early indicator of how far Samsung Foundry’s next-gen manufacturing has come.

Post-launch Geekbench 6 scores are starting to surface, and they paint a pretty clear picture on the CPU side. The Galaxy S26 Ultra posted single-core scores of 3,670 and 3,724 in two separate runs, with multi-core results reaching 10,981 and 11,237. These are strong numbers and in line with what you’d expect from Qualcomm’s tuned “for Galaxy” variants with slightly higher clocks, tighter optimization, and aggressive performance scaling.

Meanwhile, the Exynos 2600 inside the Galaxy S26+ recorded 3,105–3,197 in single-core and 10,444–11,012 in multi-core tests. That puts Snapdragon ahead by roughly 10 to 18 percent in CPU performance when it comes to single-threaded workloads. In practical terms, that could translate to slightly snappier app launches and better responsiveness under lighter loads.

But the GPU story is more interesting this year. In OpenCL testing, the Exynos 2600 actually posted a marginally higher score — 24,240, compared to the Snapdragon’s 24,152. It’s a tiny difference, but symbolically important.

That’s notable because historically, Exynos variants have struggled to keep up with Qualcomm not just in CPU efficiency but also in GPU stability and sustained output. If these early numbers hold up in long gaming sessions and real-world thermal tests, Samsung may finally have narrowed the performance perception gap.

Of course, these are still early post-launch benchmarks. Sustained performance and battery drain under load will matter more once full reviews drop.

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(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

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Samsung’s next flagship mobile chip is already making noise in graphics benchmarks. After recently appearing on a Vulkan GPU test, the Exynos 2600 has now topped the Basemark ray tracing leaderboard, beating Qualcomm’s best Snapdragon offering by a noticeable margin.

According to the latest Basemark Ray Tracing results, the Exynos 2600 outperformed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip by roughly 10 to 15 percent. The chip claimed first place, thanks largely to Samsung’s new Xclipse 960 GPU.

Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in ray tracing benchmark

The benchmark data shows a device labeled SM-S942B — believed to be the standard Samsung Galaxy S26 powered by the Exynos 2600 — scoring 8,262 points. In comparison, the BKQ-N49, likely the international version of the Honor Magic8 running the 8 Elite Gen 5, scored 7,527 points. That gives Samsung’s chip a 9.76 percent lead in this specific ray tracing test.

Much of this performance gain appears to come from the Exynos 2600’s underlying design. It is the first smartphone processor to use Samsung’s 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) manufacturing process. The approach uses a four-sided gate transistor structure, which improves electrostatic control and allows the chip to operate at lower voltages, potentially boosting both performance and efficiency.

The GPU is another major factor. The Xclipse 960 is the first mobile GPU to use a customized version of AMD’s RDNA 4 architecture, enabling a generational leap in ray-tracing capabilities on smartphones.

Samsung has also focused on thermal management. The Exynos 2600 uses fan-out wafer-level packaging (FOWLP) to shrink the overall package size and includes a new thermal path block (HPB). This copper heatsink makes direct contact with the application processor, reducing thermal resistance by around 16 percent.

While benchmarks don’t tell the whole story, these early results prove Exynos 2600 as a serious competitor in high-end mobile graphics. This could be a comeback moment for Exynos in flagship phones.

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Samsung’s next flagship chip is starting to show up more often in benchmarks, with numbers that are hard to ignore. The Exynos 2600 has now posted a strong result in Geekbench’s Vulkan GPU test, putting it right next to Qualcomm’s best.

According to the latest Geekbench 6 Vulkan benchmark, the Exynos 2600 scored 27,478 points. That’s surprisingly close to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which scores 27,875 points in the same test. The gap is small enough that, on paper at least, most users wouldn’t notice a difference.

This isn’t the first time the Exynos 2600 came closer to its Snapdragon counterpart. Back in January, the chip scored 25,460 points in Geekbench’s OpenCL test. Again, it had a marginal difference from Qualcomm’s 25,971 points on the same benchmark.

Exynos 2600 matches Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance on OpenCL and Vulkan

Both OpenCL and Vulkan benchmarks are designed to measure GPU compute performance, but they focus on slightly different things. OpenCL is more about traditional general-purpose parallel computing, which is relevant to tasks like image processing and some AI workloads. 

Vulkan, on the other hand, is a modern, low-overhead API built for high-efficiency graphics and compute tasks. It’s especially relevant for gaming, advanced visuals, and machine learning on mobile devices. Strong Vulkan scores usually hint at better performance in modern games and graphics-heavy apps.

Part of this improvement likely comes down to how the Exynos 2600 is built. It’s Samsung’s first mobile chip made using a 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) process. This approach wraps the transistor gate around the channel on all four sides using vertically stacked nanosheets, which helps improve efficiency and performance while reducing power leakage.

On the graphics side, the chip features the Xclipse 960 GPU based on a custom version of AMD’s RDNA 4 architecture. It’s designed specifically for high-performance gaming.

Samsung is also trying to tackle heat with Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP) along with a Thermal Block (HPB) design. By placing a copper heatsink directly in contact with the chip die, Samsung says it has reduced thermal resistance by 16 percent, which should help maintain performance under sustained loads.

Of course, benchmarks don’t tell the whole story. Real-world performance, battery life, and thermals in actual Galaxy S26 phones will matter far more. But these numbers suggest the Exynos 2600 could finally be competitive in a space Qualcomm has dominated for years.

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Last week, Samsung unveiled that its upcoming Exynos 2600 flagship chipset, which will power the upcoming Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, will arrive without an integrated modem, marking a clear shift in its silicon strategy. To address this change, Samsung has now announced the Exynos Modem 5410, a new standalone connectivity solution designed to work alongside the processor and define how future Galaxy devices stay connected.

Exynos Modem 5410 promises enhanced connectivity

The all-new Exynos Modem 5410 is a standalone modem designed to pair with next-generation flagship processors. Built on a 4nm EUV process, the modem supports 3GPP Release 17 and delivers download speeds of up to 14.79Gbps through combined sub-6GHz and mmWave connectivity.

Its most notable feature is integrated satellite communication, bringing together LTE Direct-to-Cell, NB-IoT NTN, and NR-NTN on a single chip. This allows voice calls, text messaging, location sharing, and even video communication in areas with no terrestrial network coverage.

Beyond speed and coverage, Samsung has focused heavily on security. The modem supports Hybrid Post-Quantum Cryptography, ensuring sensitive data such as device identifiers remain protected against future quantum-based threats. By separating the modem from the main processor, Samsung can also manage heat more effectively while allowing each component to be optimized independently.

The Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s first 2nm flagship processor and is expected to power select Galaxy S26 models. By removing the integrated modem, Samsung has freed up silicon space for the CPU, NPU, and AMD-based GPU, prioritizing performance, efficiency, and advanced on-device AI.

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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series could see another chipset split, and one detail about the Exynos option is already drawing attention. The Galaxy S26 and S26+ models are already expected to ship with Samsung’s new Exynos 2600 processor, at least in South Korea. It’s notable for being Samsung’s first 2nm smartphone chip, but it reportedly comes with a trade-off: an external modem.

Tipster Erencan Yilmaz claimed that the Exynos 2600 does not include an integrated cellular modem. Instead, it is said to rely on a separate modem, believed to be the Exynos 5410. A Samsung Semiconductor official has already confirmed to Android Authority that the 2nm-based chip indeed uses an external modem.

Most modern smartphone chips, including the Exynos 2400 and Exynos 2500, use integrated modems. Keeping the modem on the same die reduces data travel and helps limit power draw and heat, especially during mobile data use.

External modems are typically less efficient. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 in 2020 followed a similar approach, and it was often criticized for higher power consumption during connectivity-heavy tasks. If the same applies here, Exynos-powered Galaxy S26 models could see slightly higher battery drain when using mobile data, calls, or hotspot features. Whether this external solution will behave differently from the integrated solution of the Snapdragon variants—especially in weak signal conditions—remains to be seen.

The Exynos 2600 is based on Samsung’s new 2nm process node, and opting for an external modem instead of integrating it into the main chip is seen as a potential cost-saving move. As Android Authority notes, the external design may help Samsung manage yields while freeing up space for other components.

Samsung hasn’t detailed how this setup will affect real-world battery life. That will only become clear once Exynos-equipped Galaxy S26 devices hit the market early next year. For now, Snapdragon variants may remain the safer choice for users who prioritize connectivity efficiency.

As usual, final judgments will depend on execution, not just specifications.

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Qualcomm and MediaTek were earlier supposed to be among the first brands to push 2nm smartphone chips into the market, but Samsung has quietly taken the crown by announcing Exynos 2600 — the world’s first smartphone chip built using 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) manufacturing process.

The Exynos 2600 sits above the Exynos 2500, promising notable improvements in performance, thermal efficiency, and AI capabilities. Although not officially confirmed, this chip is likely to power some of the upcoming Galaxy S26 series phones in many regions.

The latest Exynos chip features a 10-core CPU based on Arm’s latest v9.3 architecture, which includes C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores. Samsung didn’t include any low-power little cores, as the CPU only comprises big and high-performance cores.

The Exynos 2600’s CPU comprises one prime C1-Ultra core clocked at 3.8GHz, three high-performance C1-Pro cores at 3.25GHz, and six efficiency-tuned C1-Pro cores at 2.75GHz. This new structure is claimed to have improved the CPU performance by up to 39%.

Gamers should also notice some improvements, as the new Xclipse 960 GPU is claimed to offer twice the compute performance of its predecessor and up to 50% better ray tracing performance. The chip also introduces Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS) technology, which further improves gaming performance by leveraging AI-based resolution upscaling and frame generation technologies.

The South Korean giant has taken a step forward towards fixing the heating issues associated with Exynos chips by introducing the new Heat Path Block (HPB) technology. It improves heat transfer using High-k EMC materials, which are said to be as effective as a heat sink, and lowers thermal resistance by up to 16%.

The Exynos 2600 chip features an AI engine with a 32K MAC NPU and brings support for ARM’s Scalable Matrix Extension 2 (SME 2), which can accelerate AI and ML-based applications and provide enhanced support for matrix operations. Samsung claims the upgraded NPU delivers a 113% increase in AI performance over its predecessor, Exynos 2500.

The chip supports up to 320MP single-camera or 64MP + 32MP dual-camera configurations. Additionally, it enables zero shutter lag for 108MP shots. The chip can do 8K/30fps and 4K/120fps HDR video recording, with support for Samsung’s APV codec for higher-quality videos. Samsung claims the improved ISP is also up to 50% more efficient.

Other specs include LPDDR5x RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, 4K displays at a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and HDR10+ playback.

Qualcomm and MediaTek will join in next year

From the specs sheet and brand claims, the Exynos 2600 appears to offer solid gains across CPU, GPU performance, and API capabilities. Particularly, the latest measures to fix heating issues could build more confidence in potential buyers. However, Qualcomm and MediaTek aren’t sleeping either.

The two chip giants are working towards announcing their 2nm smartphone chips. According to reports, those could be called: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600. Both will reportedly use TSMC’s 2nm (N2P) manufacturing process.

MediaTek and Qualcomm usually release their latest flagship chips around September. That’s when you can expect them to unveil their 2nm flagship chips. That’s still months away, but in the meantime, we’re likely to hear more about these chips through various leaks.

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The post Samsung beats Qualcomm and MediaTek with world’s first 2nm smartphone chip appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Exynos 2600 has been officially detailed as the Samsung’s next-generation flagship mobile processor, offering a glimpse into how future smartphones may handle performance, efficiency, and on-device intelligence. Built on a 2nm GAA process, the chip introduces changes across CPU, AI, graphics, and thermal design.

The 2nm GAA, or Gate-All-Around process, is Samsung’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology, designed to improve power efficiency and transistor control compared to earlier FinFET-based nodes. Reports suggest that the Exynos 2600 will power the upcoming Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, while the S26 Ultra may feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

Exynos 2600 specifications

The Exynos 2600 is equipped with a deca-core CPU based on Arm v9.3 architecture, combining one high-performance C1-Ultra core, three performance-focused C1-Pro cores, and six efficiency-tuned middle cores. Samsung has moved away from traditional little cores, aiming to balance sustained performance and efficiency across everyday tasks and demanding workloads.

The company claims meaningful gains in both computing performance and power consumption, helped by architectural changes and support for advanced instruction sets that improve on-device machine learning responsiveness.

AI is a central theme of the Exynos 2600, with an upgraded NPU that enables faster generative AI tasks while reducing latency and power draw. This allows more complex AI features such as image editing and intelligent assistance to run directly on the device.

On the graphics side, the Xclipse 960 GPU brings improved ray tracing and AI-based upscaling through ENSS technology, targeting smoother gameplay even under limited power budgets.

Samsung has also introduced a Heat Path Block, a new thermal solution that improves heat dissipation efficiency, helping the chip maintain stable performance during prolonged gaming or AI workloads.

Camera and multimedia capabilities also see upgrades, with support for sensors up to 320-megapixel, advanced video noise reduction, and 8K video playback. Together, these changes position the Exynos 2600 as a platform focused on sustained performance rather than short bursts, shaping Samsung’s vision for future flagship smartphones.

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The Exynos 2600 has been a big hype for the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, as it’s the world’s first 2nm chip used in a smartphone. Now, a new leak from well-known Samsung tipster Ice Universe gives us what could be the final look at its CPU and GPU configuration.

We’ve already seen early performance hints from Geekbench listings, but this new information suggests Samsung may be squeezing out a bit more power. According to Ice Universe, the Exynos 2600 will stick with a 10-core CPU layout, which aligns with previous leaks.

The change could be on the prime core, which is now said to clock at 3.9GHz. That’s slightly higher than the 3.8GHz speed seen in earlier benchmarks, and while the difference sounds small, it could help Samsung push higher peak performance in demanding tasks.

The rest of the CPU setup looks familiar. The three high-performance cores are expected to run at 3.2GHz, while the six efficiency cores are clocked at 2.75GHz. 

On the graphics side, the Exynos 2600 reportedly uses a GPU called AMD JUNO, running at 985MHz. As the name suggests, Samsung continues its partnership with AMD for graphics, which has been a major talking point for recent Exynos chips. 

The GPU is said to support OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 3.0, and Vulkan 1.3, covering all the modern graphics APIs needed for high-end gaming and advanced visuals.

Samsung will gatekeep Exynos 2600

If you’re curious about its performance, the chip scored 3,455 points in the single-core test and 11,621 points in the multi-core test in its latest Geekbench sighting. For comparison, our Xiaomi 17 unit powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 reached 3,078 points in single-core and 9,162 points in multi-core.

Even with on-par performance—if not better—Samsung is reportedly planning to use the Exynos 2600 exclusively in the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus for the Korean market. The rest of the world is expected to get models powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

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Samsung is positioning the Exynos 2600 as more than the main chipset for its next flagship phones. The chip also acts as Samsung’s first large-scale showcase of its 2nm process, which the company hopes will help bring major customers back to its foundry business. After struggling to win meaningful 3nm orders, Samsung is relying on the Exynos 2600 to prove that its new node can deliver stable performance and better efficiency.

A new report from South Korea says Samsung has introduced a cooling method for the Exynos 2600 that is drawing interest from Apple and Qualcomm. Both companies have relied on TSMC for their recent mobile and desktop chips, largely because Samsung’s previous flagship chipsets faced consistent thermal and stability issues. Samsung now claims it has addressed those concerns with a packaging method called Heat Path Block technology.

The Heat Path Block design uses a copper heatsink placed directly on top of the mobile AP. To enable this layout, Samsung moved the DRAM to the side of the processor instead of stacking it above the die. This gives the heatsink direct contact with the main chip, allowing heat to move out of the package more quickly. According to the report, internal testing shows up to a 30 percent improvement in thermals compared to the previous Exynos generation.

Samsung missed most of the 3nm demand because its early process did not inspire confidence among top-tier customers. The company is now more cautious with its 2nm rollout but believes this node has a better chance at competing with TSMC. Samsung expects the Exynos 2600 to act as the first real demonstration of what its 2nm line can achieve in a consumer device.

If the Exynos 2600 delivers the thermal and performance gains that Samsung is targeting, it could help the company rebuild trust with major chip designers. That outcome would be important for Samsung as it looks to secure future 2nm orders and re-establish itself as a competitive alternative to TSMC in advanced chip manufacturing.

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The post Exynos 2600: The 2nm Chip Samsung Hopes Will Win Back Apple and Qualcomm appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung is gearing up to introduce its 2nm-based flagship chipset, the Exynos 2600, and early benchmarks suggest it can go head-to-head with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. But if history is anything to go by, it’s wise not to read too much into early numbers from an unreleased Exynos chip. Samsung is rumored to be planning the S26 and S26+ with this in-house silicon in most regions, which has understandably disappointed fans who were hoping for a global Snapdragon rollout.

However, there might still be a silver lining. According to a recent report from Wccftech, the Exynos 2600 will only be used in the Korean versions of the Galaxy S26 and S26+. Most global markets are once again expected to receive Snapdragon-powered units. That either shows Samsung still lacks confidence in pushing Exynos internationally or suggests the current production yield on Samsung’s 2nm node isn’t yet high enough to keep up with global demand.

A deeper look from South Korea’s CTT Research highlights several long-standing challenges: overheating during extended workloads, kernel-level security concerns, and lower manufacturing yields. These issues have shaped consumer sentiment for years, with Snapdragon variants consistently seen as the safer bet for performance and stability.

Of course, Samsung is trying hard to change that narrative. The Exynos 2600 reportedly uses a new “Heat Pass Block” structure to improve thermal performance — potentially reducing temperatures by as much as 30%. The chip also continues leveraging Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) to boost efficiency. Meanwhile, yield rates for the 2nm GAA process have reportedly improved to around 50%, a meaningful step up from the previous generation.

But beyond technical hurdles, there’s a major business complication too: Samsung is tied to a multi-year agreement requiring roughly 75% of Galaxy S flagships to ship with Snapdragon chips. Expanding Exynos too aggressively could trigger expensive penalties, making any global scale-up a risky move.

So for now, customers in South Korea will be the first to experience Samsung’s newest silicon effort, while buyers elsewhere can set aside concerns over heating or performance variance.

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Samsung has started talking openly about its first 2nm chips — and the numbers are raising eyebrows for an unexpected reason: they’re surprisingly modest. The company is aiming to ship the new silicon in 2026, starting with European versions of the Galaxy S26 series. On paper, the improvements don’t scream “revolution,” but behind the scenes they’re already landing Samsung big contracts and even bigger expectations.

For years, Samsung’s Exynos chips have been the weak link in its global flagship strategy. Buyers in Europe have routinely ended up with slower, less efficient devices than their Snapdragon-equipped counterparts in the US, and it looks like the same split is coming back for the S26 and S26+. Those two models are expected to use the Exynos 2600, while the S26 Ultra will reportedly stick with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 worldwide.

Still, Samsung seems confident. In its latest financial update, the company outlined what the new 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process is supposed to deliver: roughly a 5% performance lift, an 8% bump in efficiency, and about a 5% reduction in chip size compared to its second-gen 3nm process. On their own, those numbers aren’t huge. But they’re already paying off. Samsung has apparently secured around a quarter of Galaxy S26 orders and landed a massive $16.5 billion Tesla contract for its AI6 chips — all based on early 2nm capabilities.

Yield is another piece of the puzzle. Samsung says the Exynos 2600 is hitting about a 60% yield rate so far, which is reportedly enough to start serious production. If that holds, the company could save $20–$30 per unit compared to using Snapdragon chips — potentially lowering the bill of materials (BoM) for the European S26 models by a significant margin.

But not everyone is convinced this is the comeback Samsung wants it to be. Exynos has a long history of looking good on spec sheets and struggling once the phones hit people’s hands. And there’s still a fundamental design gap: while Qualcomm and Apple build heavily customized CPU architectures, Samsung continues to use ARM’s standard Lumex core designs, which usually trail behind in real-world optimization.

With the Galaxy S26 launch creeping closer, the question is pretty simple: is Samsung’s early 2nm jump a genuine turning point or just another round of déjà vu for European buyers? The company clearly thinks small steps will add up. Whether customers agree is another story.

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Samsung’s next flagship lineup might not rely on its in-house silicon as much as we expect it to. During Qualcomm’s Q4 2025 earnings call, the company revealed that it expects to power roughly 75 percent of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 devices with its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, leaving the remaining quarter for Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 processor.

When asked about Samsung’s growing efforts to use internal modems and custom chipsets, Qualcomm executives didn’t sound too concerned. In fact, they made it clear that their partnership with Samsung remains strong and that Snapdragon will continue to dominate the Galaxy lineup.

“What used to be a normal relationship at 50% share, the new baseline is about 75%,” a Qualcomm spokesperson said during the call. “On Galaxy S25, we got 100%. Our assumption for any new Galaxy is always going to be 75%. That is our assumption for Galaxy S26.”

This surely sounds like a confident expectation, and if true, Samsung’s long-awaited return to its dual-chip strategy might not be a full-scale comeback for its homegrown processors. Qualcomm clearly expects its chip to remain the default option in most Galaxy S26 models.

Still, Samsung’s Exynos 2600 doesn’t look like a weak link on paper. Built on the company’s 2nm GAA process, new benchmark listings suggest it can go head-to-head with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or Apple’s A19 Pro. 

Despite these promising numbers, Samsung seems to be treading carefully. The company’s confidence in its chip might not yet match Qualcomm’s proven consistency, especially when it comes to real-world thermals and sustained performance.

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The Exynos 2600 has popped up on Geekbench once again, this time with even better performance numbers. 

According to the latest benchmark listing, Samsung’s upcoming flagship chip scored 3,455 points in single-core and 11,621 points in multi-core tests. For comparison, when it first appeared back in August, it managed to get 3,309 and 11,256 points, respectively.

In both runs, the CPU configuration remains the same. The chip’s prime Cortex-X930 core is running at 3.8GHz, three Cortex-A730 performance cores at 3.26GHz, and six Cortex-A730S cores clocked at 2.76GHz. The improvement suggests Samsung has been doing some behind-the-scenes tuning to squeeze more out of the silicon.

To put those numbers in perspective, our Xiaomi 17 unit with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 reached 3,078 points in single-core and 9,162 in multi-core. 

On paper, that means the Exynos 2600 is currently ahead. Still, it’s worth remembering that Samsung’s test setup is a controlled environment, and real-world results could look different once the chip lands in actual phones.

There’s a possibility of two versions

Interestingly, Samsung may be working on two versions of the Exynos 2600. A variant with lower clock speeds also appeared on Geekbench last week, showing prime core at 3.55GHz, three performance cores at 2.96GHz, and six efficiency cores at 2.46GHz. Unsurprisingly, its scores dipped to 3,047 (single-core) and 10,025 (multi-core).

According to SammyGuru, the dual listings could hint that Samsung may be planning to use two versions of the chip across its lineup. The higher-clocked model might be reserved for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, while the S26 and S26 Plus could ship with the toned-down variant. That’s just speculation for now.

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Samsung has officially entered the 2nm era, but not without turbulence. The company’s Foundry Division has kicked off mass production of its next-gen Exynos 2600 chipset using its cutting-edge 2nm GAA process. While this should mark a triumphant return for Samsung’s in-house silicon after the Exynos 2500’s absence from the Galaxy S25, the reality is more complicated.

Galaxy S26 Ultra could drop Exynos 2600

According to a report by Korean outlet Dealsite, initial output stands at just 15,000 wafers, with yield rates hovering around 50%, far below the industry’s target of 70% for profitability. That number, while an improvement over Samsung’s broader 2nm yields in the 30% range, still limits how widely the Exynos 2600 can be deployed.

Sources now suggest that only about 30% of Galaxy S26 units will ship with the Exynos 2600, primarily in Samsung’s home market. The flagship S26 Ultra is expected to skip the chip entirely, instead relying on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, contradicting earlier reports that projected a full Exynos rollout across all S26 variants.

The reduced allocation follows promising early tests that initially supported a broader deployment. However, limited wafer supply and unstable 2nm yields have forced Samsung to scale back. The Foundry Division now faces a pivotal moment as it works to recover from mounting losses and rebuild trust with major partners.

Samsung is also preparing to produce Tesla’s AI6 chip using the same 2nm process, with pilot runs scheduled for next year and full-scale production expected by 2027. The deal, valued at around 22 trillion won (roughly $15.2 billion), includes plans for roughly 10,000 wafers per month. However, initial output will remain limited, and profitability will depend heavily on improving yield rates.

Despite the growing pains, Samsung’s Exynos 2600 and Tesla AI6 projects are shaping up as high-stakes proving grounds. If the company can stabilize its 2nm output, it could turn these two chips into marketing weapons, and perhaps even lure Qualcomm back into the fold.

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A report from a South Korean publication has revealed that Samsung is preparing to mass-produce its next-generation Exynos 2600 chipset. The development is seen as an important step in Samsung’s attempt to regain ground in the premium smartphone segment after a difficult period with its semiconductor division. The chip has also been spotted in benchmark tests, suggesting performance gains over its predecessor.

Exynos 2600: 2nm process and heat management

The Exynos 2600 is expected to be the first mobile chip produced on Samsung’s 2nm GAA process, marking a technological milestone for the brand. Early reports point to improved yields compared to the company’s earlier 3nm efforts, with production said to be on track.

A key feature of the new platform is the introduction of Heat Pass Block technology, designed to manage overheating issues that plagued older Exynos chips. The implementation of this cooling solution could prove critical in changing perceptions about Exynos performance and stability.

As per the recent Geekbench sighting, the Exynos 2600’s prime can reach up to 3.8GHz. It has three performance cores running at up to 3.26GHz and six other cores operating at 2.76GHz.

Industry insiders suggest the Exynos 2600 is highly likely to feature in at least some Galaxy S26 models depending on market region, while others may continue with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Samsung’s dual-chip strategy would allow it to cut down reliance on Qualcomm while showcasing progress in its own silicon.

The Galaxy S26 family is expected to launch in early 2026, and the inclusion of the Exynos 2600 could play a vital role in Samsung’s effort to strengthen its semiconductor position and challenge rivals using TSMC’s 2nm technology, which will enter mass production in late 2025.

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The post Samsung’s Exynos 2600 ready for mass production with heat management upgrade appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2600 chip has reappeared on Geekbench, and this time the results look far more promising than before.

The chip appeared in the benchmark back in July with not-so-impressive scores. It only managed a single-core score of 2,155 and a multi-core score of 7,788. 

But a fresh round of testing shows that Samsung’s tuning has paid off. The new results push the chip to a single-core score of 3,309 and a multi-core score of 11,256. The scores put it ahead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but the 8 Elite 2 still performs slightly better in its early benchmark. 

The improvements are mainly because of the increased CPU speed. The main Cortex-X930 core now runs at 3.8GHz (up from 3.55GHz), while the three Cortex-A730 performance cores jump to 3.26GHz (previously 2.96GHz). The other six Cortex-A730s for efficiency see a bump as well, hitting 2.76GHz compared to 2.46GHz before.

Exynos 2600 is the first 2nm chip

The chip is confirmed to be manufactured on Samsung Foundry’s 2nm GAA process, which will improve power efficiency, thermal management, and AI performance.

Moreover, to prevent overheating, the chip is speculated to feature the new Heat Path Block (HPB) technology. The process comprises a micro copper-based heatsink integrated directly above the processor and memory within the chip’s package-on-package structure to keep the temperature in check. 

The Exynos 2600 is expected to launch with the Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Edge in early 2026, while the S26 Ultra may continue with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. 

Apart from smartphones, Samsung has signed a $16.5 billion deal with Tesla for 2nm chips, suggesting broader adoption of its advanced nodes. 

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The post Samsung’s 2nm Exynos 2600 posts flagship-level scores in new Geekbench test appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung has officially announced key details about its upcoming Exynos 2600 processor during its Q2 2025 earnings call. The company revealed its next flagship chip will be manufactured using the 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, positioning it ahead of competitors like Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm.

Exynos 2600: First 2nm chipset with a 10-core CPU

The Exynos 2600 will be the first smartphone chipset produced on Samsung Foundry’s 2nm GAA process. This design promises improvements in power efficiency, thermal management, and AI performance. Early reports suggest Samsung has developed a stronger neural processing unit to handle on-device AI functions, such as voice commands and photo enhancements.

An early Geekbench listing indicates a 10-core CPU layout in a 1+3+6 arrangement. It includes one prime core clocked at 3.55GHz, three performance cores at 2.96GHz, and six efficiency cores at 2.46GHz. The chip will feature the Xclipse 960 GPU, which is expected to deliver around 15 percent better graphics performance compared to the Adreno 830 found in the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

To prevent overheating, the chip is speculated to feature the new Heat Path Block (HPB) technology, which comprises a micro copper-based heatsink integrated directly above the processor and memory within the chip’s package-on-package structure

Expected debut with Galaxy S26 series

The Exynos 2600 is expected to launch with the Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Edge in early 2026, while the S26 Ultra may continue with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Alongside mobile devices, Samsung has signed a $16.5 billion deal with Tesla for 2nm chips, suggesting broader adoption of its advanced nodes. With strong sales for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and these strategic moves, Samsung’s 2025-2026 outlook appears promising.

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The post Exynos 2600 officially confirmed as world’s first 2nm chip, 10-core CPU and Xclipse 960 GPU expected appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung may finally have an answer to one of the biggest criticisms of its Exynos chips: overheating. The company is reportedly working on a new thermal solution for its upcoming Exynos 2600, which is expected to debut with the Galaxy S26 series. Called Heat Path Block (HPB), this new technology could mark a major step forward in Exynos 2600’s thermal control.

The HPB design uses a tiny copper-based heatsink integrated directly above the processor and memory within the chip’s package-on-package structure. By leveraging copper’s excellent thermal conductivity, it aims to dissipate heat more effectively than the chip packaging material on the Exynos 2500. It’s a technique that borrows from the cooling designs commonly used in PCs and servers.

The result? Better sustained performance during heavy workloads — something Samsung’s in-house chips have struggled with for years.

Samsung plans to wrap up testing by October, and if things go well, mass production could begin shortly after—just in time for the Galaxy S26 lineup. The Exynos 2600 itself is being built on a 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process and is expected to feature a deca-core CPU (1+3+6 layout) along with the new Xclipse 960 GPU, which may be an in-house design.

Compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 2500, the 2600 reportedly aims to deliver a significant improvement in performance, especially in demanding AI tasks. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is likely to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 worldwide, but with this new cooling tech, the Exynos-powered base model might finally close the performance gap. Exynos 2600 is expected to power the base model in most markets worldwide, excluding the US and China.

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The post Galaxy S26’s Exynos 2600 to tackle overheating with new HPB technology appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 2600 chip — likely to power next year’s Galaxy S26 — has made its appearance on Geekbench, offering a glimpse into what the next generation of flagship performance might look like. While the scores come from a pre-production unit, they give an early look at how the chip stacks up against current and upcoming competition.

Tested on Geekbench 6.4, the Exynos 2600 posted a single-core score of 2,155 and a multi-core score of 7,788. For context, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 (expected to power the Ultra model) reportedly scores over 4,000 and 11,000 in the same tests. These numbers are also lower than previously speculated figures for the Exynos 2600 itself. In fact, the results closely resemble the CPU performance of the just released Galaxy Z Flip7, which runs on the Exynos 2500—suggesting there could be a noticeable performance gap between the S26 models powered by Exynos and those powered by Snapdragon.

That said, this is just an early development-stage test, and performance is expected to improve as Samsung continues refining resource management, thermals, and other system-level optimizations. These initial results are more a reflection of the current state of development than a final verdict. We’ll know more once benchmark scores for the Ultra model—likely powered by Qualcomm’s 8 Elite Gen 2—start appearing.

For now, the Geekbench listing confirms a few details about the Exynos 2600: it packs a 10-core CPU. The CPU cluster includes one Cortex-X930 core running at 3.55GHz, three Cortex-A730 cores at 2.96GHz, and six more A730s at 2.46GHz. This chip is said to be based on Samsung’s 2nm SF2 process.

It’s likely that the Exynos 2600 will be used in select Galaxy S26 models across Europe and Asia, while Snapdragon variants could be reserved for the US and Chinese markets.

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The post Exynos 2600’s early Geekbench scores hint at Galaxy S26’s potential appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is expected to launch in January 2026 — but the question of which chip will power the new flagships remains open. With Samsung pushing its in-house Exynos chips for more devices, a recent comment from a key executive has stirred fresh speculation about the Galaxy S26’s processor lineup.

At the NAEK Young Festival in Seoul, Park Yong-in, President of Samsung System LSI, spoke about the development of the Exynos 2600. While he sounded confident about the chip’s progress, Park stopped short of confirming whether it would be used in the Galaxy S26 series.

Earlier this year, Samsung MX — the mobile division — surprised many by using the Exynos 2500 in the Galaxy Z Flip7 and the Exynos 2400 in the Z Flip7 FE, breaking from its usual reliance on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Park said the Exynos 2600 was “progressing well” and hinted at “good results” ahead, but made it clear that MX will make the final call on whether the chip makes it into the S26 lineup.

The fact that the multitasking-focused Z Fold7 still relies on a Snapdragon flagship suggests the Exynos 2500 fell short of Samsung’s performance or efficiency expectations. So far, there’s been little convincing evidence of significant gains with the Exynos 2600 either — likely a key reason why the mobile division has yet to lock in a deal with System LSI, Samsung’s chipmaking arm.

Samsung had originally planned to use the Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series, only to scrap it in favor of the Snapdragon 8 Elite due to yield problems. The Exynos 2600 is reportedly facing similar yield concerns, with production rates still falling short of the 70% mark needed for mass production.

Meanwhile, Samsung MX is increasingly sourcing key components from external suppliers. The Galaxy S25, for example, used Micron memory chips instead of Samsung’s own — a trend that may continue with the S26 series. If production challenges persist, Samsung may once again turn to Qualcomm (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2) for the Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra — good news for users prioritizing performance and battery life.

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The post Exynos 2500 skipped for Z Fold7; Exynos 2600 still unconfirmed for Galaxy S26 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 may still be months away, but early buzz around its next-gen chip is already heating up. A fresh leak sheds light on the Exynos 2600 processor, which is expected to power most versions of the S26 series—and it paints a familiar picture of regional performance differences.

According to tipster @OreXda on X, the Exynos 2600—Samsung’s upcoming 2nm chipset—has now been properly benchmarked using updated production yield estimates. Earlier figures were based on a 10% yield, but with the more accurate 40% yield (in line with Samsung Foundry’s current 2nm output), the Exynos 2600 reportedly scores around 2,950 in single-core and 10,200 in multi-core performance on Geekbench 6. That’s a solid improvement—roughly 20% and 15% higher than the Exynos 2400 found in this year’s Galaxy S24.

But while the numbers are promising, they may still leave some users disappointed. Compared to Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon 8 Elite, which already scores higher in single-core (3,155) and comes close in multi-core (9,723), the Exynos 2600 appears to fall slightly behind. And that’s not even taking into account the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 of the S26 Ultra, which is rumored to reach over 4,000 in single-core and 11,000 in multi-core benchmarks.

What does that mean for Galaxy fans? Samsung is widely expected to fall back to its dual-chip strategy for the Galaxy S26 series—using Exynos 2600 in most global markets, while reserving the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for the US, China, and possibly other select regions. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly sticking with Snapdragon globally, but the base S26 and S26+ (or S26 Edge) models could once again vary widely in performance, battery efficiency, and thermal stability depending on where you buy them.

It’s a déjà vu moment for long-time Samsung users, many of whom have criticized the company in the past for offering inconsistent performance across its flagship lineup. Unless Samsung pulls off something surprising in optimization, the Exynos-Snapdragon gap could once again be a deciding factor for buyers when the Galaxy S26 series launches in early 2026.

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The post Galaxy S26’s Exynos 2600 benchmark leak hints at major performance gap between variants appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung is racing to bring its 2nm chipmaking tech to primetime. According to a Korean report, the company’s System LSI and Foundry divisions are now in full prototype production of the Exynos 2600, the next-generation mobile processor expected to power the Galaxy S26 early next year. More importantly, its notoriously tricky 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process is finally starting to yield results, quite literally.

Earlier this year, Samsung’s 2nm yields hovered around a worrying 30%. But after months of aggressive R&D, the company is now targeting yields above 50% without compromising performance.

That’s a critical step, though still short of the 70% threshold typically required for cost-effective mass production. The clock is ticking: Samsung needs to lock in stable yields fast if it wants to avoid the production delays that dogged the Exynos 2500.

Risk production of the Exynos 2600 is slated to begin by year’s end, following the current full prototype production phase that is helping Samsung refine both performance and yield. This stage serves as a critical proving ground before mass production ramps up just two or three months ahead of the Galaxy S26’s February launch. The stakes are high.

For Samsung’s System LSI unit, the Exynos 2600 represents a shot at revitalizing the Exynos brand after years of reliance on Qualcomm chips. For Samsung Foundry, it is the first real-world showcase of its 2nm GAA technology, with global clients watching closely.

Rumors suggest Samsung is also courting Qualcomm to fab Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chips for Galaxy phones using its 2nm process, though nothing is confirmed. Meanwhile, TSMC already started taking 2nm wafer orders in April, adding urgency to Samsung’s efforts.

If Samsung can nail this transition, it could finally shake its reputation for lagging behind TSMC at the bleeding edge of chip manufacturing. For now, all eyes are on how Exynos 2600 performs on the path to mass production.

In related news, Samsung’s System LSI unit is facing a major shake-up after years of losses. The company is considering whether to merge it with Foundry, fold it into the MX division, or pursue an independent overhaul. Merging with Foundry seems the most likely path, though it could unsettle key clients. The review was prompted by the Exynos 2500’s failure to secure a Galaxy S25 slot, which impacted both LSI and Foundry revenues. The final decision is expected soon.

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The post Samsung targets higher yields on 2nm Exynos 2600, prototype phase in full swing appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung is trying its best to push the boundaries of chip technology with its Exynos 2600, now in mass production. Expected to power the Galaxy S26 series in 2026, this chip could mark a historic milestone as the first 2nm smartphone SoC.

The South Korean giant has kicked off prototype mass production of the Exynos 2600, built on its “cutting-edge” SF2 2nm process, aiming to make it the world’s first 2nm smartphone chip. According to a report out of South Korea, the chip is set to drive the Galaxy S26 and S26+, expected to launch around February 2026, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra will likely stick with a standard Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, not the custom “For Galaxy” variant used in past flagships. This follows Samsung’s pattern, as seen with the Galaxy S24 series, where the Ultra model relied on a Snapdragon chipset.

The Exynos 2600’s journey isn’t without hurdles. Samsung is said to be targeting a 50% yield rate for its SF2 node, up from 40% reported earlier, but full-scale production requires yields above 60%—a goal not expected until late 2025. Last year’s Exynos 2500 faced similar yield issues on the SF3 node, delaying its debut to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in mid-July, while the large-screen Galaxy Z Fold 7 is confirmed to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Speculations suggest the SF2 node is a rebadged version of SF3 (SF3P), raising concerns about potential delays if yields don’t improve.

How the Exynos 2600 stacks up against rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and MediaTek Dimensity 9500 remains unclear. The Exynos 2500 lagged in benchmarks, and Samsung’s System LSI and Foundry divisions are under pressure to ensure the 2600 delivers competitive performance and efficiency. Success could bolster Samsung’s foundry ambitions and reduce reliance on Qualcomm.

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The post Samsung’s Exynos 2600 hits a milestone for Galaxy S26 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, expected in early 2026, might revive the Exynos-Snapdragon split, with Europe getting the Exynos 2600 and other regions the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. This echoes past strategies, despite fan pushback, and could affect the S26 lineup’s performance dynamics.

After equipping the Galaxy S25 series solely with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Samsung is reportedly eyeing its Exynos 2600 for the S26, per @Jukanlosreve on X. According to the tipster, the 2nm Exynos 2600, facing yield issues, will be limited to Europe, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 powers the S26 elsewhere. However, the split may apply only to the S26 and S26+, with the S26 Ultra sticking to Snapdragon globally, mirroring the S24’s setup.

Europe’s Exynos history isn’t new—Samsung has long powered its European Galaxy flagships with in-house chips, despite their weaker performance, power efficiency, and thermal issues. The Galaxy S22 models, for instance, used the Exynos 2200 in Europe, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 dominated elsewhere.

Galaxy fans in the region have long griped about Exynos’ weaker GPU and efficiency compared to Snapdragon, yet Samsung seems unfazed. The Exynos 2600 promises 15-25% better efficiency, but its 40% yield lags TSMC’s 60%.

Europe’s S26 could offer decent battery life, as seen with the S24’s Exynos 2400, but gaming performance might trail Snapdragon’s Adreno GPU. Launching January 2026, the S26 series’ regional split seems to disappoint Galaxy enthusiasts. Will Europe’s Exynos 2600 hold up, or will history repeat itself, with Snapdragon models outperforming the rest? Only time will tell.

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The post History repeats itself: Galaxy S26 in Europe to use Exynos 2600 appeared first on Gizmochina.

The latest news is about the acquisition of High-NA EUV equipment from ASML, the world’s sole supplier of such machinery. Earlier this month, Samsung shipped its first TWINSCAN EXE:5000 High-NA EUV machine to its Hwaseong Campus in South Korea, which is reportedly necessary for the manufacturing of the 2nm Exynos 2600.

How this development could benefit Exynos 2600

Samsung couldn’t prepare the Exynos 2500 in time, which otherwise would power the base and plus models of the Galaxy S25 series. There have also been rumors about the use of this chip in the upcoming foldables, but nothing is concrete as of writing.

All of it is mainly related to the sub-par performance of the chip, which reportedly does not meet the standards Samsung’s mobile division has set for the flagship bar and foldable devices. The key reason behind the delay with Exynos 2500 was reportedly the yield rate (refers to the percentage of functional, defect-free chips produced on a wafer, compared to the total number of chips created) of the 3nm process node.

With the acquisition of the cutting-edge High-NA EUV machine, Samsung Foundry may finally fix the yield issues. This also means Samsung could use the Exynos 2600 to power some of its future Galaxy flagships, at least the base and plus models like it has done in the past. And given the improvements we have already seen with the Exynos 2200 and Exynos 2400, Samsung Foundry seems to be heading in the right direction.

While it certainly requires some initial investment, a reduction in the manufacturing cost (since they will have to buy fewer or no chips from Qualcomm) may encourage the company to invest some on its resource in redesigning and upgrading the hardware. After all, the S25 and S25 Plus are basically the same phones as last year, and the Ultra model only differentiates itself (in terms of hardware) with the rounded corners and completely flat middle frame.

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The post Samsung finally acquires 2nm chip building tool from ASML—Exynos 2600 to benefit appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung might finally be ready to bring Exynos back to its flagship phones—if all goes according to plan. 

After skipping the Exynos 2500 entirely for the Galaxy S25 series due to poor yield rates, a new report suggests the company is making an aggressive push to ensure the Exynos 2600 makes the cut for the Galaxy S26 lineup.

Samsung has a dedicated task force for Exynos 2600

According to FNNews, Samsung has formed a dedicated task force to optimize Exynos performance and production. The new chip is expected to be built on Samsung’s 2nm “SF2” process, and insiders claim it has already shown significantly improved yield rates compared to its ill-fated predecessor. 

Samsung is reportedly targeting chip’s mass production by May, though the final decision on whether it will power the Galaxy S26 series won’t be made until the end of the year.

Samsung’s semiconductor division is splitting responsibilities for the chip—its System LSI Business Unit is handling design, while the Foundry Business Unit is taking care of production.

An insider told FNNews that Samsung’s foundry yields are “showing signs of stabilizing to a certain extent,” but there’s a sense of urgency within the company. According to the report, some within the Foundry Business Unit see this as a make-or-break moment for Exynos.

The failure of the Exynos 2500 left Samsung entirely reliant on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Galaxy S25 series, and the company likely doesn’t want to repeat that scenario.

For years, Samsung has insisted on keeping Exynos alive, even when its chips have struggled to match Qualcomm’s offerings. Now, with a more refined process and a dedicated team, the Exynos 2600 could be Samsung’s best chance yet at delivering a truly competitive flagship chip. But with the clock ticking, the pressure is on to prove that Exynos is ready for primetime again.

(Source)

The post Samsung is Going All-In on Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26—If It Can Deliver appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung just debuted the Galaxy S25 series as its latest flagship smartphones. But just within a month of the announcement, rumors of the Galaxy S26 series have already started surfacing online. A new report has recently surfaced, which talks about Samsung possibly bringing back its Exynos chips on the Galaxy S26 lineup.

Samsung Galaxy S26 may mark the return of Exynos

According to a report from TheBell, the South Korean tech giant might be planning on using its Exynos chips once again and these may debut with next year’s premium smartphones. Apparently, Samsung has already managed a yield of more than 30 percent in the latest SF2 (2nm) test production. Furthermore, the brand is working on stabilizing this process even further to get ready for the mass production of the Exynos 2600 chipsets.

This production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year if the yields are stabilized as per their plans. So if all goes well, the Exynos 2600 APs might be released with the Galaxy S26 lineup in early 2026. The report further adds that the Samsung Electronics System LSI Division and Foundry Division are also putting resources into reaching the mass production goal of the Exynos 2600. Samsung has struggled with the yield rates in recent years with the Exynos 2500 reportedly seeing a yield rate of just 20 percent.

But for mass production, the company would need to hit at least 60 percent or higher. Rumors have pointed at the lackluster chip yields as the reason why Samsung chose to go with an all-Snapdragon Galaxy S25 lineup this year. It even worked with Qualcomm to bring a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy version, which is faster than the regular variant.

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The post Samsung Galaxy S26 series may finally bring back Exynos chips: Report appeared first on Gizmochina.

While the Galaxy S25 series is yet to be officially announced, rumors are already circulating about the Galaxy S26 series. According to recent reports from a tipster on X (formerly Twitter), Samsung is planning to “significantly” equip the Galaxy S26 lineup with its in-house Exynos chips. It signals a potential return to the company’s long-standing strategy of using its own processors in flagship devices in most of the regions.

Exynos Chips and the Galaxy S26 Series

The move to bring Exynos chips back to Samsung’s flagship smartphones follows challenges that Samsung faced with the Exynos 2500, which was originally intended to power the Galaxy S25 series. However, due to production issues, particularly around yield rates for the 3nm architecture, it wasn’t economical for Samsung to mass produce the chip for the S25 series. As a result, the S25 lineup is expected to primarily feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, with Exynos 2500 reserved for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip FE models instead.

According to a recent report out of South Korea, Samsung has achieved some progress towards mass production with its 3nm process (for the Exynos 2500) and is also believed to achieve the same in time with the 2nm process for the Exynos 2600.

The history and strategy behind Exynos chips

Samsung’s decision to revisit Exynos chips with the S26 series makes sense from a business standpoint. In fact, the company has traditionally powered the majority of its devices with its own chips. However, the performance gap between Exynos and Snapdragon chips in previous years led to a mixed reception from consumers.

For its Galaxy S23 series, Samsung made the decision to exclusively use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 after facing criticism over the dual-platform strategy. This move was well-received, with the Snapdragon variant of the Galaxy S23 outperforming the Exynos-powered version. However, Samsung returned to its dual-chip strategy with the Galaxy S24 series, using both Exynos and Snapdragon depending on the region.

The Exynos 2400, which powers the S24 series, has shown significant improvements and now competes more closely with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon counterparts in terms of performance. This development bodes well for the Exynos 2600, which is expected to reduce the performance gap even further. In addition to all of that, there’s still a significant portion of people who just prefer Exynos on their Galaxy regardless of the performance or power efficiency. Considering all of that, it won’t be surprising if Samsung “significantly” equips its future flagships with its in-house chips again.

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The post After Snapdragon-exclusive Galaxy S25 series, Samsung might return to Exynos with S26 lineup appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung’s Exynos 2600 chipset, once rumored to be a major leap in mobile processing, may never see the light of day. A recent report suggests that Samsung is considering canceling its production altogether due to challenges with its 2nm fabrication process. This development raises questions about the future of Samsung’s in-house chip production and its competitiveness in the semiconductor space.

Exynos 2600 was expected to utilize Samsung Foundry’s advanced 2nm process. However, the production yield rate—a key metric for determining how many usable chips are created from a single wafer—has reportedly been alarmingly low. Recent figures suggest yields of only 10–20%, which are not viable for mass production.

This issue isn’t new for Samsung Foundry. Its 3nm process node, used for the Exynos 2500, faced similar hurdles, with yields falling below 20%. This has led to speculation that Samsung might outsource the production of its flagship Exynos chips to TSMC, a leader in advanced chip manufacturing.

Production restructuring?

Adding to the complexity, Samsung has reportedly shut down several manufacturing facilities operating on older 4nm, 5nm, and 7nm technologies. The company’s semiconductor division is also known to be grappling with a smaller workforce, which is further constrained by South Korea’s 52-hour workweek regulation. A restructuring of Samsung’s application processor (AP) development team is reportedly underway, but it could take years to materialize fully.

While outsourcing production to TSMC might address yield issues, it could also lead to increased production costs. Historically, Samsung has relied on in-house manufacturing to control costs and maintain competitive pricing for its devices. Outsourcing could result in even higher retail prices.

A challenging road ahead for Exynos

Despite the setbacks, Samsung Foundry is reportedly pushing to improve its 2nm process to compete with TSMC. However, there’s little information on current progress, leaving the future of Exynos uncertain.

For users, Samsung’s rumored shift to Snapdragon 8 Elite or MediaTek Dimensity 9400 for the Galaxy S25 series might promise better performance and efficiency. However, the possible discontinuation of Exynos 2600 highlights the challenges Samsung faces in balancing innovation and cost efficiency.

(source 1, 2)

The post Samsung might cancel Exynos 2600 production amid manufacturing challenges appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung has been using Xclips GPUs (built in collaboration with AMD) in its flagship Exynos chips. The GPUs equip AMD RDNA graphics IP and were projected to offer reasonably better ray tracing performance.

However, earlier last month tipster @rquandt hinted that Samsung may discontinue the partnership with AMD after 2025. “In 2026, Samsung seems to aim for the release of a next-gen flagship SoC feat its own GPU,” he noted.

In the latest news, the Korean platform Naver hints at the same. Reporter Jinsol Lee talks about Samsung considering investing in GPU at a board meeting. According to the report, a company executive at the management committee within the board of directors has decided to invest in GPUs. At the management level, the investment is expected to strengthen the company’s “GPU-related business competitiveness or to expand its internal information technology (IT) infrastructure.”

This is a bit unusual because the investment agenda has so far focused on the memory chips and the foundry. This is the first time that Samsung Electronics has decided to invest in GPUs at the management committee since 2012 when the agenda was made public.

In the Management Committee meeting, memory semiconductor and foundry factory construction and facility investment were reviewed. The company is also investing in AI chips and advanced packaging methods.

Given Samsung’s self-developed GPU manages to compete with the Adreno or Mali GPUs, it will offer the company more control over its products and will also likely save some costs.

That being said, the Exynos 2500 will still feature an RDNA GPU – the Xclips 950. However, a recent rumor also says that Samsung may not even use the chipset in the Galaxy S25 series at all. Nonetheless, we are still quite a few months away from the launch and more information should surface going forward.

(Source)

The post Samsung may discontinue its partnership with AMD in the near future and develop its own GPU appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung and AMD have been working together to bring RDNA-based GPUs to mobile processors since the Exynos 2200. The most recent Exynos 2400 also has an RDNA GPU, and the partnership has even expanded into the mid-range segment with the Exynos 1480.

However, rumors from reliable industry insiders Roland Quandt and @OreXDA suggest a shift for the Exynos 2600. 

Both the tipster says that Samsung might be parting ways with AMD for graphics for its 2026 flagship chip. The South Korean giant is instead looking to develop its own GPU architecture that will make its way to the Exynos 2600. 

Details on the Exynos 2600 are very scarce, particularly regarding Samsung’s plans for its in-house GPU. However, the company might still use RDNA as a foundation for building its own GPU, similar to how Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs are rooted in AMD’s Radeon line.

Despite the shift, Samsung’s 2025 flagships, the Galaxy S25 series, will continue using the Exynos chipset, specifically the Exynos 2500 (S5E9955), with an AMD GPU. The lineup will also use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy chip in a few markets. 

It’s in 2026 when Samsung will launch the Galaxy S26 series and Exynos 2600. So there’s ample time for plans to evolve. But if the leak pans out to be true, it could suggest that Samsung is exploring a path towards greater self-sufficiency in the future of Exynos SoCs.

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The post Exynos 2600 rivaling Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 may feature in-house Samsung GPU appeared first on Gizmochina.