Samsung could get ahead of Apple, Qualcomm and Mediatek in the race for finesse.
During a question-answer session (organized as part of the presentation of the financial results of the second quarter 2025), Samsung confirmed that the Exynos 2600 would be based on its own process 2 nm GAA (Gate-All-Around).
After several difficult years, notably marked by the cancellation of the Exynos 2300, this announcement is promising for the Korean firm. If the launch of the Exynos 2600 is doing well in the coming months, it would ahead of the next high -end chips of Apple, Qualcomm and Mediatek, still planned in 3 Nm via the TSMC production lines. Recall that the current Samsung flagship SOC, the Exynos 2500, is also designed in 3 Nm.
The first SOC 2 NM of the market, before Apple, Qualcomm and Mediatek?
In principle, the exynos 2600 will make its debut in certain variations of the Galaxy S26 series, expected in the first half of 2026. It could thus combine advanced engraving, revisited architecture, all sprinkled with a technology called Heat Pass Block supposed to alleviate recurring overheating that affects previous generations. The key, we can expect gains both in performance and energy efficiency.
More specifically, according to the anterior rumors, the chip would integrate a CPU with 10 hearts, structured around a main heart, three high performance cores and six low -consumption cores. For the GPU part, Samsung would bet on the Eclipse 960, announced as 15 % more efficient than the Adreno 830 integrated into the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
In his message published on X and which transmits the main information processed here, Bryan Ma evokes an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) greatly improved, guarantee of more advanced AI features.
Samsung Q&A: “Exynos 2600 will be the first flagship chipset fabricated on the latest 2nm GAA process [via Samsung Foundry]…2600 offers a significant improvement in NPU performance versus the prior version with enhanced support for on-device AI functionality”
— Bryan Ma (@bryanbma) July 31, 2025
Samsung Foundry takes up colors
With this exynos 2600, Samsung hopes to return to the race against Qualcomm on the very high -end segment. The Snapdragon 8 Elite currently dominates the debates, and its future Gen 2 version is also very competitive. However, it would remain engraved in 3 nm per TSMC, as is the Dimensity 9500 of Mediatek and the Apple A19.
That said, not all engraving processes are equal. The nodes often have different levels (at TSMC, for 3 Nm, there is for example N3, N3E, N3P…). Above all, with allegedly similar finesse, real performance or even density vary depending on the founders. In addition, production costs and yields weigh in the balance.
However, the prospects seem favorable for Samsung Foundry. The group displays a positive dynamic, as evidenced by the contract at $ 16.5 billion recently signed with Tesla for the manufacture of IA chips intended for vehicles. This agreement concerns solutions engraved in 2 nm (SF2A); He logically strengthened the credibility of the company in the race for the most advanced nodes.
🔴 To not miss any 01net news, follow us on Google News and Whatsapp.