Tag: Galaxy S26

Key Takeaways

1. Samsung is working to reintroduce the Exynos chip, specifically the Exynos 2600, in its Galaxy S26 lineup after skipping the Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series.
2. A dedicated task force has been established to optimize the performance and production of the Exynos 2600, which will be manufactured using Samsung’s 2nm “SF2” process.
3. Yield rates for the Exynos 2600 are reportedly better than its predecessor, with mass production expected to begin by May.
4. Samsung’s foundry is showing signs of stabilization, but there is urgency within the company to ensure Exynos remains competitive and avoid reliance on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips.
5. The Exynos 2600 is seen as Samsung’s best chance to deliver a competitive flagship chip, with increasing pressure to prove its capabilities before the Galaxy S26 release.

Samsung may finally be getting ready to reintroduce Exynos into its flagship devices—if everything goes as planned. After completely skipping the Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series due to low yield rates, a recent report indicates that the company is making a strong effort to ensure the Exynos 2600 will be included in the Galaxy S26 lineup.

Dedicated Task Force for Exynos 2600

As per FNNews, Samsung has set up a special team aimed at optimizing the performance and production of the Exynos. The upcoming chip is expected to be manufactured using Samsung’s 2nm “SF2” process. Insiders have mentioned that it has already demonstrated much better yield rates than its unfortunate predecessor.

Reports suggest that Samsung aims to begin mass production of the chip by May, but the final determination on whether it will be used in the Galaxy S26 series won’t be made until the year wraps up. The semiconductor division of Samsung is dividing tasks for the chip; the System LSI Business Unit is focusing on design while the Foundry Business Unit handles production.

Signs of Stabilization

An insider shared with FNNews that the yields from Samsung’s foundry are “showing signs of stabilizing to a certain extent,” but there’s definitely a feeling of urgency inside the company. According to the report, some people in the Foundry Business Unit view this as a critical moment for Exynos.

The setback with the Exynos 2500 left Samsung fully dependent on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Galaxy S25 series, and the company probably wants to avoid a repeat of that situation.

A Competitive Future

For many years, Samsung has been committed to keeping Exynos relevant, even when its chips have struggled to compete with Qualcomm’s products. Now, with a more advanced process and a focused team, the Exynos 2600 might be Samsung’s best opportunity to deliver a genuinely competitive flagship chip. However, with time running out, the pressure is mounting to demonstrate that Exynos is ready to shine once more.

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According to a recent report from The Bell, Samsung’s third-generation 3 nm process, known as SF2, is having a pretty solid start. Although the ‘2’ in its name suggests it could be a 2 nm-class chip, that’s not the case. Early tests show yields of about 30%, which isn’t terrible for a test phase, especially since its previous version took longer to reach similar numbers. The chip being referenced here is the Exynos 2600.

Future Implications

If Samsung can improve its SF2 yields to around 60% by the time it starts mass production in late 2025, there’s a strong possibility that the upcoming Galaxy S26 phones will feature the Exynos 2600. There’s also speculation about moving away from using an AMD Radeon iGPU in favor of an in-house alternative. However, it’s likely that the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will continue to use Qualcomm chips. We’ll get a better understanding of how the Exynos 2600 performs once the Exynos 2500 is revealed with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 later this year.

Internal Development

Currently, Samsung has given the Exynos 2600 the internal codename “Tethys.” On paper, this chip should have an edge over Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500, which are expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s N3P technology. However, in practice, TSMC has traditionally been more successful. The competition would have been more balanced if TSMC had accepted Samsung’s proposal to produce Exynos chips, but that opportunity was closed off early on.

Importance of SF2

The success of SF2 is crucial for Samsung, as it will influence the future of its foundry business. The company has already put some older nodes (4 nm and lower) on hold due to a lack of demand. So far, SF2 has two confirmed clients: PFN and Ambarella. There’s a possibility that Qualcomm might return to Samsung Foundry, particularly since its name was noticeably missing from the list of TSMC N2 customers, which included big names like Apple, Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.

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