The world's first 2nm chip: officially released

Samsung Exynos 2600 Heavy Release: 2nm

1、 On Friday, Samsung Electronics dropped a bombshell in the mobile semiconductor industry and officially announced the complete details of the industry's first 2-nanometer process smartphone application processor, Exynos 2600. This chip, which carries Samsung's top semiconductor strength, not only marks the official entry of mobile chips into the 2nm new era, but also relies on the surround gate (GAA) architecture as the cornerstone, in terms of performance AI、 Disruptive breakthroughs have been achieved in the four dimensions of imaging and heat dissipation, redefining the technological ceiling of flagship mobile computing cores. As the "super brain" of smartphones, the Exynos 2600 is built by Samsung's LSI department, with precision manufacturing of the GAA architecture guaranteed by the OEM factory, which will directly empower the Galaxy S26 series flagship models to be released early next year. The 10 core CPU configuration based on the latest Arm architecture is luxurious: led by one 3.8GHz Cortex-C1 Ultra super core, paired with three 3.25GHz Cortex-C1 Pro performance cores and six 2.75GHz Cortex-C1 Pro energy efficiency cores, forming a golden combination of "ultra-high performance+balanced energy efficiency", with overall computing performance skyrocketing by 39% compared to the previous generation.

Significant improvement in AI and graphics performance: the integration of a 32K MAC NPU AI engine doubles the performance of generative AI workloads; With the support of Samsung Xclipse 960 GPU, the graphics performance has skyrocketed by 100% compared to Exynos 2500. Coupled with Kinetic Reality technology, ray tracing performance has been improved by 50%. Exynos Neural Super Sampling frame generation technology enables game smoothness to exceed 300%, achieving a console level experience. Full imaging capability: single camera supports up to 320 million pixel CMOS and 108MP@30fps Continuous shooting, dual camera 64MP+32MP to meet professional needs; Top display and encoding/decoding capabilities, supporting 4K/ WQUXGA@120Hz High refresh rate, 8K codec, integrated full format codec covering audio and video scenes. The core highlight is that the Exynos 2600 has implanted a heat dissipation path module (HPB) in a mobile SoC for the first time, using high dielectric constant materials to reduce thermal resistance by up to 16%, solving the pain point of high-end chip heat dissipation. At the same time, as the first 2nm GAA smartphone chip, it is the first to support hybrid quantum encryption to ensure security, and will become the foundation platform for future Exynos chips, laying a technological advantage.

2、 Samsung's mobile phone strategy: Half of the S26 models are equipped with Exynos 2600 for mass production, which is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a heavyweight signal for Samsung to revive its self-developed mobile processor strategy. According to a previous report by the Korea Economic Daily, Samsung plans to equip about half of its Galaxy S26 series models with this chip, which is a radical counterattack measure after its self-developed chip suffered setbacks. According to the plan, the entire Galaxy S26 series (including Ultra version) in the Korean and European markets will be equipped with Exynos 2600, while Qualcomm Snapdragon will still be used in the US, Japan, and China markets. This balanced distribution means that Samsung has deployed Exynos chips on a large scale in its flagship Galaxy series for the first time since 2021, marking a comprehensive return to its self-developed strategy. Looking back at history, Samsung's flagship Galaxy used Exynos chips before 2015, but switched to Qualcomm in 2016. The heat dissipation issue and low yield of the 2022 Galaxy S22 series Exynos chip have dampened consumer confidence and accelerated the transition. Since last year, Samsung has launched a self-developed comeback: the Galaxy S24 Basic/Plus version is equipped with Exynos 2400, and the subsequent Galaxy Z Flip7 (sold only in Korea) is equipped with Exynos 2500, gradually rebuilding trust.

The mass production and large-scale adoption of Exynos 2600 is a crucial step for Samsung's return to self-developed technology. This reflects its confidence in its semiconductor capabilities and is also an important measure to restructure the mobile chip market landscape. With its first mover advantage in 2nm technology, Samsung is attempting to regain the voice of high-end mobile chips and reverse its passive situation. As the Galaxy S26 approaches, this direct confrontation with Qualcomm will become the biggest highlight of the high-end mobile phone market in 2025.