Samsung Electronics has unveiled the world’s first cellular software processor (AP) Exynos 2600 constructed utilizing a 2-nanometer (one-billionth of a meter) course of, asserting it has entered mass manufacturing of the brand new chip. The corporate plans to equip the self-developed Exynos 2600 within the flagship smartphone Galaxy S26 set to launch in February subsequent yr, concurrently lowering chip procurement prices and accelerating the turnaround of its foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) enterprise.
On Dec. 19, Samsung Electronics disclosed detailed specs of the Exynos 2600 by means of its web site and marked the product standing as “mass manufacturing.” Samsung Electronics’ disclosure of the Exynos 2600 manufacturing standing as mass manufacturing is interpreted to imply it has secured yield charges enough for set up in tens of tens of millions of smartphones.
Exynos is a reputation combining the Greek phrases “sensible (exypnmos)” and “inexperienced (prasino),” and is a cellular AP product independently designed by Samsung Electronics’ System LSI division, which handles the semiconductor (DS) enterprise.
Smartphones are cutting-edge gadgets that shrink high-performance computer systems to palm measurement. As the world is diminished, parts serving because the mind—central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), modem, and reminiscence semiconductors—should be built-in right into a single chip within the type of a system-on-chip (SoC) AP for smartphone set up. Since excessive efficiency and effectivity should be maintained concurrently, implementing high-performance APs requires superior expertise, to the extent that APs are known as assemblies of semiconductor expertise.
Samsung Electronics has additionally skilled appreciable difficulties in the course of the AP growth course of. Efficiency degradation points attributable to overheating had been constantly raised in Galaxy smartphones outfitted with the Exynos 2100 and 2200 sequence, and through this course of, Qualcomm, which was a serious foundry buyer, assigned all chip manufacturing beneath 4 nanometers to TSMC within the second half of 2022, creating inner and exterior crises. Moreover, even Samsung Electronics’ Cellular (MX) enterprise division outfitted the Galaxy S25 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite as an alternative of its personal Exynos AP.
Samsung Electronics plans to place an finish to such controversies by disclosing detailed specs together with the Exynos 2600 mass manufacturing information. It introduced that CPU computing efficiency improved by as much as 39% in comparison with the earlier era (Exynos 2500) with a deca-core (10 cores) based mostly on Arm’s newest structure. It additionally enhanced generative synthetic intelligence (AI) efficiency by 113% with a strong NPU.
Specifically, the Exynos 2600 is predicted to finish the overheating controversy that had adopted the Exynos sequence like a tag. The Exynos 2600 launched warmth path block (HPB) for the primary time in cellular SoCs, lowering thermal resistance by as much as 16% to take care of secure chip inner temperature even below high-load conditions. Moreover, it helps ultra-high-resolution cameras as much as 320 megapixels (MP) and helps smartphones take smarter and clearer photographs with newly launched AI-based visible notion system (VPS) and APV codec.
Samsung Electronics is predicted to fireside the sign of revival by equipping the Exynos 2600 within the Galaxy S26 launching in February subsequent yr. Trade analysts anticipate the corporate to individually equip the Galaxy S26 with the Exynos 2600 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite fifth era (Gen5) by mannequin and area.
If the Exynos 2600 is utilized to the Galaxy S26 sequence, Samsung Electronics can catch two birds with one stone: price discount for the cellular enterprise division and foundry efficiency restoration. Samsung Electronics’ cellular AP procurement prices from Qualcomm and others reached 11 trillion gained by means of the third quarter of this yr as semiconductor costs soared because of the reminiscence tremendous cycle impact. If the Exynos 2600 is supplied within the Galaxy S26, chip procurement prices will be considerably diminished.
The business expects the foundry enterprise may also get well quickly. When the Galaxy S26 outfitted with the Exynos 2600—the business’s first to use 2-nanometer gate-all-around (GAA) course of—is formally launched, Samsung Electronics foundry will concurrently show its high quality course of and mass manufacturing yield capabilities. Further orders from massive tech firms together with Tesla, Apple, and Qualcomm could comply with. An business insider defined, “If the Exynos 2600 settles in properly, foundry enterprise efficiency restoration will speed up, rising the potential of turning to profitability in 2027.”
