Samsung has officially announced the Exynos 2600, calling it the world’s first smartphone chipset built on an advanced 2-nanometre process. The new processor is designed for upcoming flagship Galaxy devices and is expected to debut early next year, most likely with the Galaxy S26 series.
The Exynos 2600 is manufactured using Samsung Foundry’s latest 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology. This process allows better control of power and performance compared to older chip designs. Samsung says the new chipset combines the CPU, GPU, and NPU into one compact unit to deliver stronger performance in artificial intelligence, gaming, and everyday tasks.
At the heart of the Exynos 2600 is a proprietary octa-core CPU. It includes one high-performance C1-Ultra core running at 3.8GHz, three C1-Pro cores clocked at 3.25GHz, and additional efficiency-focused C1-Pro cores operating at lower speeds. This setup is designed to balance power and battery efficiency.
For graphics, the chip uses the new Xclipse 960 GPU, which supports ray tracing for more realistic lighting and visuals in games. Samsung claims ray-tracing performance is up to 50 percent better compared to the previous Exynos 2500. The chipset also includes an advanced AI engine with a powerful NPU, offering a reported 113 percent improvement in generative AI performance.
To enhance gaming further, Samsung has added Exynos Neural Super Sampling technology. This uses AI to improve image quality and frame rates by upscaling resolution and generating smoother frames. Support for ARM’s Scalable Matrix Extension 2 also helps speed up AI and machine learning tasks, while improving overall power efficiency.
Thermal performance has been a concern with earlier Exynos chips, and Samsung says it has addressed this with Heat Pass Block technology. This feature improves heat transfer inside the chip, reducing thermal resistance and keeping temperatures under control during heavy use.
The Exynos 2600 supports LPDDR5x RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, 4K displays with up to 120Hz refresh rates, and high-end camera features, including up to 320-megapixel sensors and 8K video recording. Samsung has also added hardware-backed post-quantum cryptography for future-ready security.
With this launch, Samsung aims to set a new benchmark for mobile processors in performance, efficiency, and AI capabilities.
