Samsung Announces Exynos 2600: World’s First 2nm Smartphone Chip Likely to Power Galaxy S26

Samsung has formally announced the Exynos 2600 as its most powerful mobile processor to date, besides being the very first mobile system-on-chip (SoC) to be made using the 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology. This not only affects the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 series but also the global semiconductor market as a whole.

With the move to 2nm technology, Samsung aims to achieve drastic improvements in performance, power consumption, and thermal management—areas where the previous generations of Exynos processors have often lost out to the likes of Qualcomm, Apple and MediaTek. According to Samsung, the new design gives rise to the possibility of greater performance accompanied by better energy control and less heat production.

New 10-Core CPU Architecture

At the core of the Exynos 2600 is a 10-core CPU based on Arm’s latest v9.3 architecture, featuring Samsung’s new C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores. In a notable design shift, Samsung has completely removed traditional low-power “little” cores. Instead, the chip relies on a mix of high-performance and efficiency-focused cores to handle workloads more intelligently.

The CPU configuration includes:

One prime C1-Ultra core clocked at 3.8GHz

Three high-performance C1-Pro cores at 3.25GHz

Six efficiency-focused C1-Pro cores at 2.75GHz

According to Samsung, this new setup delivers up to 39% higher CPU performance compared to the Exynos 2500. Support for Arm’s SME2 instructions is also expected to improve on-device machine learning tasks and reduce latency for AI-driven features.

Xclipse 960 GPU and AI-Powered Gaming

For graphics, the Exynos 2600 introduces the Xclipse 960 GPU. Samsung asserts that its new flagship offers twice the compute power of the previous generation and up to 50% faster ray tracing. Also, the chip introduces it with the Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS), which is an AI-assisted technology for upscaling and generating frames that is aimed at providing smoother gaming experience with no significant power consumption increase.

Mainly Artificial Intelligence

One of the most important features of the Exynos 2600 is the presence of the AI. The company claims that the new NPU of the device provides 113% greater AI performance than the previous top-of-the-line Exynos chip. This makes it possible for the direct use of large and complex generative AI models on the device which preserves user privacy as sensitive data remains on the device and at the same time preps the smartphones for future AI features.

Advanced Camera and Video Support

The Exynos 2600 comes with an integrated image signal processor (ISP), allowing it to handle camera sensors of 320MP resolution, and also providing 108MP pictures taken with zero shutter delay. Additionally, it can record video in 8K resolution at a rate of 30fps and in 4K resolution up to 120fps with HDR. The high-quality video production via Samsung's APV codec is also made possible.

Additional imaging upgrades include a new Visual Perception System capable of detecting fine details such as blinking in real time, along with deep learning-based video noise reduction to improve low-light footage. Samsung says the ISP is up to 50% more power-efficient than the previous generation.

Tackling Heat and Throttling Issues

One of the most important changes is Samsung’s new Heat Path Block (HPB) technology. HPB, utilizing high-k EMC materials, aims to maximize the heat transfer and cut the thermal resistance by 16% at the most, thus allowing the chip to run at full performance even during the toughest jobs. If this works out, then it could be a solution to the overheating and throttling problems that previously existed in Exynos chips.

Galaxy S26 Phones: What to Expect

The Exynos 2600, in addition to its peak performance capabilities, has support for LPDDR5X RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, HDR10+ playback, and 4K displays with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The communication is via a separate modem and a connectivity chip instead of being completely integrated into the system.

Samsung has not made an official announcement regarding which devices will include the Exynos 2600 but the chip is already in mass production and it is very likely to be used particularly in the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus in some countries around the world.

With the Exynos 2600, Samsung is proclaiming its tenacious attempt to occupy a prime spot in the flagship smartphone chip race that has no clear winner.