Login to Continue Learning
The Exynos 2600 is set to be Samsung’s first 2nm GAA chipset. Typically, the company plans to integrate this SoC in the Galaxy S26 Pro and Galaxy S26 Edge next year, while reserving the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the more premium Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, due to advanced lithography, an analyst believes that Samsung’s top-end offering will ship with its own silicon for the first time in three years, as seen last when the Exynos chipset was used in the Galaxy S Ultra devices.
Switching to the Exynos 2600 is expected to help reduce Samsung’s significant chipset expenditure from using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family. Since 2023, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SoC has been exclusive to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and this year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, regardless of where they were purchased.
For 2026, The Korea Herald reports that Park Kang-ho from Daishin Securities predicts the Exynos 2600 will be used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This change is anticipated to drive continued earnings improvement. Recent performance tests showed the Exynos 2600 competing well with an underclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, indicating its readiness to compete with industry leaders.
A previous Geekbench 6 comparison revealed that Samsung’s first 2nm GAA SoC outperformed Apple’s A19 Pro in multi-threaded workloads, though the latter was slightly faster in single-core tests. Compared to the Exynos 2500, the Exynos 2600 has seen a significant performance leap and Samsung has addressed issues like overheating through the ‘Heat Pass Block’ technology.
What’s more impressive is that Samsung’s troubles with its 3nm GAA manufacturing process appear to be in the past. The Exynos 2600 will reportedly enter mass production by the end of this month, marking a significant milestone for Samsung as it seeks to become a worthy rival to TSMC and reduce its dependence on Qualcomm.
