Highlights
- Samsung unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world’s first 2nm smartphone chipset using Gate-All-Around (GAA) tech.
- It is widely expected to debut with the Galaxy S26 series.
- It integrates CPU, GPU, and NPU for major AI and gaming gains, offering 113% better generative AI performance, 50% stronger ray-tracing, and new ENSS upscaling.
Caption – Samsung Exynos 2600.
Samsung has officially introduced its latest flagship-tier mobile processor, Exynos 2600. It is major milestone in the company’s in-house chipset roadmap as the world’s first smartphone processor built on a 2nm process using advanced Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology. The Exynos 2600 integrates the CPU, GPU, and NPU into a single compact platform, aiming to deliver improved artificial intelligence and gaming performance.
Samsung is expected to debut the chipset early next year, most likely with the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. Here’s what you need to know about the chipset.
Samsung Exynos 2600
According to the company, the Exynos 2600 sits above the Exynos 2500 as its most advanced mobile processor designed for flagship Galaxy devices. It is manufactured using Samsung Foundry’s 2-nanometre GAA process and features a custom eight-core CPU. The core configuration includes one high-performance C1-Ultra core clocked at 3.8GHz, three C1-Pro cores running at 3.25GHz, and six C1-Pro cores with speeds reaching up to 2.75GHz.
Samsung says smartphones powered by the Exynos 2600 will support LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. On the graphics front, the chipset integrates the Samsung Xclipse 960 deca-core GPU based on ARMv9.3 architecture. It also packs an AI engine featuring a 32K MAC NPU, all housed within the same integrated silicon.
The new processor supports ARM’s Scalable Matrix Extension 2 (SME 2), an instruction set extension designed to accelerate AI and machine learning workloads while improving matrix operation efficiency. Samsung claims this addition can deliver up to a 39 percent improvement in overall CPU computing performance, along with notable gains in power efficiency.
When compared to the Exynos 2500, the company reports a 113 percent boost in generative AI performance and up to 50 percent better ray-tracing capabilities. The Exynos 2600 also introduces Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS), a technology that enhances gaming through AI-driven resolution upscaling and frame generation.
To address thermal challenges traditionally associated with high-performance Exynos chips, Samsung has implemented a solution called Heat Pass Block. This technology is said to optimise heat transfer paths for more efficient dissipation, delivering heat sink-level effectiveness while reducing thermal resistance by up to 16 percent.
In terms of multimedia capabilities, the Exynos 2600 supports on-device displays with resolutions up to 4K or WQUXGA at refresh rates of up to 120Hz. Samsung states that Galaxy smartphones equipped with this chipset will be able to handle single camera sensors up to 320 megapixels, or dual camera setups combining a 64-megapixel and a 32-megapixel sensor. Video capabilities include single-camera recording at 108 megapixels and 30fps, along with 8K video encoding and decoding at 30fps.
For security, Samsung says the Exynos 2600 features hardware-backed hybrid Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), enabling ROM-rooted protection designed to offer future-ready security for next-generation Galaxy devices.
FAQs
Q1. What makes the Exynos 2600 significant in Samsung’s chipset lineup?
Answer. It is the world’s first smartphone processor built on a 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, integrating CPU, GPU, and NPU for enhanced AI and gaming performance.
Q2. When will the Exynos 2600 debut, and in which devices?
Answer. Samsung is expected to launch the Exynos 2600 with the Galaxy S26 series early next year.
Q3. What performance and feature improvements does the Exynos 2600 offer over its predecessor?
Answer. Compared to the Exynos 2500, it delivers 113% better generative AI performance, 50% stronger ray-tracing, improved thermal management, support for up to 320MP cameras, 8K video, and hardware-backed Post-Quantum Cryptography security.