Samsung’s Exynos 2600 explained: 2nm GAA, AI boost and flagship ambitions

Samsung has officially announced the Exynos 2600, its latest high-end mobile system-on-chip, marking a major step in the company’s in-house silicon roadmap. The processor is being positioned as the world’s first smartphone chip manufactured using a 2-nanometre process with Gate-All-Around technology, and is expected to power select Galaxy smartphones early next year, likely starting with the Galaxy S26 series.

Built on 2nm GAA process

The Exynos 2600 is made using Samsung Foundry’s 2nm GAA node, which is designed to improve performance and energy efficiency compared with previous generations. According to Samsung, the chip integrates the CPU, GPU and NPU into a single compact package, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence workloads and gaming performance.

New custom CPU architecture

At the heart of the Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s proprietary eight-core CPU design. The configuration includes one high-performance C1-Ultra core running at up to 3.8GHz, three C1-Pro cores clocked at 3.25GHz, and four additional C1-Pro cores operating at up to 2.75GHz.

Samsung claims the CPU benefits from support for ARM’s Scalable Matrix Extension 2, an instruction set enhancement aimed at accelerating AI and machine learning tasks. This feature is said to deliver up to 39 percent better CPU computing performance while also improving power efficiency.

Xclipse 960 GPU and AI-focused NPU

Graphics duties are handled by the Samsung Xclipse 960 GPU, a deca-core solution based on the ARMv9.3 architecture. The company says this GPU brings notable gains for gaming, including up to 50 percent better ray tracing performance compared with the previous Exynos 2500.

On the AI side, the chip includes a neural processing unit with 32K MAC capability. Samsung claims generative AI performance has more than doubled over its predecessor. The Exynos Neural Super Sampling technology is also built in, using AI-based resolution upscaling and frame generation to enhance gameplay visuals.

Memory, storage and display support

Devices powered by the Exynos 2600 will support LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. The chip can drive displays with up to 4K or WQUXGA resolution at refresh rates of up to 120Hz, making it suitable for premium smartphones with high-end screens.

Camera and video capabilities

Samsung says the new processor can handle camera sensors up to 320 megapixels in a single-camera setup, or a dual-camera configuration of 64 megapixels plus 32 megapixels. Video capabilities include 108-megapixel single-camera recording at 30 frames per second, along with 8K video recording and playback at 30fps.

Improved thermal management

To address long-standing concerns around heat management, Samsung has introduced a new thermal solution called Heat Pass Block. This technology is designed to optimise the heat transfer path inside the chip, with Samsung claiming it can reduce thermal resistance by up to 16%, delivering heat dissipation comparable to a traditional heat sink.