Samsung unveils Exynos 2600 as the first 2nm processor for smartphones

Samsung has officially announced the Exynos 2600, marking a major milestone as the world’s first smartphone chip built on a 2nm manufacturing process. Produced using Samsung Foundry’s 2nm GAA technology, the new processor is designed to deliver significantly improved sustained performance, addressing long-standing concerns around heat and throttling in previous Exynos generations.

At the core of the Exynos 2600 is a 10-core CPU based on Arm’s v9.3 architecture, featuring one C1 Ultra prime core clocked at 3.8GHz and nine C1 Pro performance cores running at up to 3.25GHz. Samsung claims a 39% overall CPU performance improvement compared to the Exynos 2500, with a design that forgoes traditional efficiency cores in favor of sustained high-performance operation.

AI performance also sees a major leap, with the new NPU delivering up to 113% faster AI processing than its predecessor. Samsung says the chip is the first to support virtualization security and hardware-backed hybrid post-quantum cryptography, enabling more advanced on-device AI workloads and improved data protection.

On the graphics side, the Xclipse 960 GPU offers double the computing performance of the previous generation and up to 50% better ray tracing in games. Combined with Exynos Neural Super Sampling, the chip uses AI-driven frame generation and upscaling to enable smoother high-frame-rate gaming while managing power consumption.

Camera capabilities are another highlight. The integrated ISP supports sensors up to 320MP, zero-shutter-lag capture at 108MP, and video recording at up to 8K at 30fps or 4K at 120fps with HDR. Samsung says power consumption for imaging has been reduced by 50% compared to the Exynos 2500, thanks to improved AI-based noise reduction and visual perception processing.

To tackle heat management, Samsung introduced a new Heat Path Block technology that uses High-k EMC materials to improve heat dissipation. This is intended to allow the Exynos 2600 to maintain high performance under sustained workloads, an area where earlier Exynos chips struggled.

The Exynos 2600 supports LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.1 storage, along with 4K displays at up to 120Hz and HDR10+ playback. Connectivity features such as 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are expected to be handled by separate chips. The processor is already in mass production and is widely expected to power the Galaxy S26 series when it launches in early 2026.

Samsung Exynos 2600 Specifications

• Process: Samsung Foundry 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around)
• CPU Architecture: Arm v9.3
• CPU Configuration:
  • 1× C1 Ultra core @ 3.8GHz
  • 3× C1 Pro cores @ 3.25GHz
  • 6× C1 Pro cores @ 2.75GHz
• CPU Performance: Up to 39% faster than Exynos 2500
• GPU: Xclipse 960 (AMD RDNA-based)
  • 2× compute performance vs. Xclipse 950
  • Up to 50% better ray tracing
  • Supports Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS)
• NPU:
  • 113% AI performance improvement
  • Hardware-backed Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
  • AI virtualization security support
• Camera Support:
  • Up to 320MP sensors
  • 108MP zero-shutter-lag capture
• Video:
  • 8K @ 30fps HDR
  • 4K @ 120fps HDR
  • Samsung APV codec support
• Image Processing:
  • AI Visual Perception System (VPS)
  • Deep Learning Video Noise Reduction (DVNR)
  • 50% lower ISP power consumption vs. Exynos 2500
• Display Support:
  • Up to 4K resolution
  • Up to 120Hz refresh rate
  • HDR10+ and HDR gaming
• Memory Support: LPDDR5X
• Storage Support: UFS 4.1
• Thermal Technology: Heat Path Block (HPB) with High-k EMC material
• Connectivity:
  • External modem required (no integrated 5G modem)
  • Separate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip expected
• Production Status: In mass production
• Expected Devices: Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ (early 2026)