Samsung has officially broken its silence regarding its next flagship mobile processor, the Exynos 2600. The company released a teaser video on YouTube on December 2, 2025, confirming the existence of the chip and hinting at a major focus on refinement and optimization. This development follows a difficult year for Samsung’s semiconductor division, which saw the cancellation of the Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series due to manufacturing challenges. The new teaser uses the tagline “In silence, we listened,” suggesting the company is directly addressing user feedback and past performance criticisms.
Key Takeaways:
- Samsung released a teaser for the Exynos 2600 with the slogan “In silence, we listened.”
- The chip will utilize Samsung Foundry’s 2nm (SF2) manufacturing process.
- Mass production is scheduled for late 2025 to power the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026.
- The project aims to recover from the yield issues that plagued the 3nm Exynos 2500.
The Shift to 2nm Technology
The Exynos 2600 represents a critical transition for Samsung Foundry as it moves to the 2nm process node, specifically the SF2 technology. This manufacturing technique uses Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors, which allows for better current control and power efficiency compared to older methods. Industry reports indicate that the move to 2nm offers approximately an 8 percent improvement in power efficiency and a 5 percent increase in performance over the previous 3nm generation.
Samsung codenamed this project “Thetis” during development. The primary goal is to solve the yield rates that hindered the Exynos 2500. Yield rate refers to the percentage of functional chips produced on a single silicon wafer. Low yields on the 3nm process forced Samsung to rely exclusively on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips for the Galaxy S25 lineup. The new teaser claims the Exynos 2600 is “refined at core” and “optimized at every level,” signaling confidence that these production hurdles are now manageable.
Galaxy S26 Implementation
Current roadmaps suggest the Exynos 2600 will debut in the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus models in early 2026. Samsung typically splits its processor strategy by region, using Exynos chips for Europe and parts of Asia, while using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors for North America and China.
The “In silence, we listened” messaging in the teaser is particularly notable. It acknowledges the disappointment from fans and investors after the Exynos 2500 failed to materialize for the S25 launch. By skipping a generation to focus on 2nm development, Samsung hopes to deliver a competitive alternative to rival chips from Qualcomm and Apple.
Technical Expectations
While the teaser did not provide hard specifications, industry leaks offer some details. The CPU configuration reportedly features a 10-core architecture designed to handle heavy multitasking. There is also speculation regarding the graphics processing unit (GPU). While previous Exynos chips used AMD RDNA architecture, some reports suggest Samsung might introduce its own in-house GPU design with this generation to reduce reliance on external partners. However, Samsung has not yet confirmed the final GPU specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When will the Exynos 2600 be released?
A. The chip is expected to enter mass production in late 2025 and will likely launch with the Galaxy S26 smartphones in early 2026.
Q. What is the difference between 3nm and 2nm chips?
A. The “nm” (nanometer) refers to the size of the features on the chip. Smaller numbers generally allow manufacturers to pack more transistors into the same space, which improves speed and energy efficiency.
Q. Will the Galaxy S26 Ultra use the Exynos 2600?
A. Most reports indicate the Galaxy S26 Ultra will continue to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite series globally, while the Exynos 2600 will power the standard S26 and S26 Plus models in specific regions.
Q. Why did Samsung skip the Exynos 2500?
A. Samsung faced difficulties with the yield rate of its 3nm manufacturing process, meaning they could not produce enough functional chips in time for the Galaxy S25 launch.
Q. What does the “Thetis” codename mean?
A. “Thetis” is the internal project name Samsung used during the development of the Exynos 2600. It refers to a sea goddess in Greek mythology.
