What just happened? Samsung has announced the Exynos 2600, the first-ever smartphone SoC built on the 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) manufacturing process. The chip is set to arrive next year, powering at least some Galaxy S26-series handsets. Samsung promises that its next-gen SoC will introduce better performance, thermals, and support for cameras up to 320MP.
The Exynos 2600, manufactured by Samsung Foundry, features a 10-core configuration based on Arm's v9.3 architecture. It uses the new C1-Ultra (prime) and C1-Pro (middle) cores – Samsung has dropped the low-power cores in this Exynos model.
The CPU configuration consists of a single Arm C1-Ultra prime core clocked at around 3.8GHz, supported by three C1-Pro performance-focused middle cores running at approximately 3.25GHz, alongside six C1-Pro efficiency-tuned middle cores operating at roughly 2.75GHz.
Samsung says the design aims to improve overall CPU performance by up to 39%. Support for Arm's SME2 instructions promises enhanced on-CPU machine learning capabilities compared to its predecessor, along with reduced latency for AI features. With the enhanced NPU, generative artificial intelligence processing performance has been also been improved by up to 113%.
When it comes to thermal management, Samsung has added a Heat Path Block to the Exynos 2600 – the first time it has done so in a mobile chip. This reduces thermal resistance by up to 16% and helps maintain more stable internal temperatures under heavy workloads.
Graphics-wise, the chip features the Xclipse 960 GPU. It offers twice the computing performance as its predecessor, resulting in a ray-tracing performance increase of 50%, according to the maker.
Another graphics feature is the Exynos Neural Super Sampling technology that offers upscaling and frame generation abilities. Samsung says games "feel" three times smoother with this technology enabled, which seems more honest than Nvidia's claims about frame generation.
Photography gets an upgrade in the Exynos 2600. The chip's integrated ISP supports cameras up to 320MP and enables zero shutter lag for 108MP shots. There's also 8K recording at 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps with HDR, and support for Samsung's APV codec, which improves detail and color precision.
There are also AI camera elements, including an AI-based Visual Perception System (VPS) that allows the ISP to recognize a variety of detailed elements and process them in real-time, and deep learning Video Noise Reduction (DVNR) for enhancing video quality in low-light conditions.
The Galaxy S26 series is set to be unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event at the end of February.