Key Takeaways
1. Samsung Foundry is improving its 2 nm yields, now estimated at 40-50%, up from 30% in February.
2. The Exynos 2600 is expected to power upcoming Galaxy S26 models, indicating positive growth for Samsung’s chipset lineup.
3. Yield improvements at Samsung may involve performance trade-offs, leading to a gap between its chips and those produced by TSMC.
4. Samsung’s previous advantage in 3 nm technology has diminished with the introduction of TSMC’s N2 node, which uses similar Nanosheet technology.
5. Future improvements may come with the next generation, SF2P, which is expected to be marketed as Samsung’s ‘true’ 2 nm node.
Unlike TSMC, which has already gone beyond 60% yields on its 2 nm class N2 node, Samsung Foundry is still trying to reach that important target. A new report from the South Korean news source Munhwa suggests that the young chipmaker is getting close, with yields now estimated to be in the 40-50% range. This is a significant improvement from the earlier reported 30% in February. While yields alone don’t mean much without knowing the chip’s die size, in this case, it is expected to be around the size of a smartphone SoC, approximately 150 mm².
Positive Outlook for Exynos 2600
This development is promising for the Exynos 2600, which is expected to power the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and possibly the Galaxy S26 Ultra next year. In addition, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy is also rumored to be produced on the same node, but its launch is not anticipated until the second half of 2026, likely coinciding with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
Trade-offs in Performance
However, X leaker and semiconductor analyst Jukanlosreve points out that this yield improvement has come at a cost. Samsung apparently had to make performance compromises to produce workable chips. This indicates that SF2 will again lag behind TSMC’s N2 node in raw performance. Such a situation could create a notable performance gap between the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (TSMC N3P) and the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 designed for Galaxy.
Challenges with 2 nm Technology
To complicate things, Samsung once had an edge with its 3 nm node, which was GAAFET-based, but that advantage is gone with the 2 nm node because N2 employs Nanosheets, a technology that is quite similar. It might be that things improve with the next generation, SF2P, which Jukanlosreve claims will be marketed as their ‘true’ 2 nm node.
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