From Samsung's world's first mass-produced 2nm mobile phone chip to global computer price increases

"Performance increased by up to 39%." Samsung Electronics has announced the world's first 2nm process smartphone application processor—the Exynos 2600 system-on-chip (SoC). Manufactured using Samsung's self-developed 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, the chip features an all-new 10-core CPU design based on the Arm v9.3 architecture.

Currently marked as "in mass production", the Exynos 2600 is expected to power select regional versions of the Galaxy S26 series flagship smartphones in early 2026. Its launch represents not just a technological leap, but also what is seen as Samsung's "battle for revival" in the mobile chip business.

The market has long held mixed feelings toward Samsung's Exynos chips.

Galaxy phones equipped with the Exynos 2100 and 2200 series suffered from persistent performance degradation due to overheating. This even led to Qualcomm, Samsung's major foundry client, transferring all orders for chips below the 4nm process to competitor TSMC in the second half of 2022.

Samsung itself abandoned its own chips in favor of Qualcomm solutions for the Galaxy S25. The release of the Exynos 2600 is interpreted as Samsung's declaration to end this controversy. Its biggest highlight is the adoption of Samsung Foundry's 2nm full GAA process, a leading technology that has temporarily positioned Samsung ahead of Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm in the mobile chip space—all of whom are still using 3nm processes. To comprehensively address the historical pain point of overheating, Samsung has introduced Thermal Path Interruption (TPI) technology for the first time in this chip. This technology reduces thermal resistance by up to 16%, ensuring the chip maintains stable performance and temperature even under heavy loads.

In terms of basic performance, the Exynos 2600's 10-core CPU features the new C1 Ultra and C1 Pro cores, with a maximum clock speed of 3.8GHz. Its overall performance is up to 39% higher than its predecessor, the Exynos 2500. In artificial intelligence capabilities, the upgraded Neural Processing Unit (NPU) delivers a 113% speed increase. Samsung states this will significantly accelerate locally run functions such as generative AI, real-time translation, and intelligent camera processing. For graphics processing, the integrated Xclipse 960 GPU offers double the computing performance of the previous generation, with a 50% improvement in ray tracing for gaming. Samsung's proprietary Exynos Neural Supersampling technology uses AI to generate frames and enhance resolution, delivering smoother gaming experiences. The imaging system has also been significantly enhanced. Its built-in Image Signal Processor (ISP) supports cameras with up to 320 million pixels and enables zero-shutter-lag shooting of 108-megapixel photos. For video recording, it supports HDR format at 8K/30fps or 4K/120fps.

While Samsung has not made an official announcement, market consensus expects the Exynos 2600 to power certain versions of the Galaxy S26 series next year. Samsung plans to officially unveil the series at the Galaxy Unpacked event in the U.S. at the end of February 2026. More strategically, the return of the Exynos chip is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Sources suggest Samsung may only equip the Exynos 2600 in regional versions of the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+ models, while the S26 Ultra will universally adopt Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. This approach aims to rebalance chip supply for flagship models and improve the performance of Samsung's semiconductor division. Even more surprisingly, beyond the S-series flagship, this cutting-edge 2nm chip may also be used in the foldable screen product line. South Korean media reports indicate Samsung plans to equip the next-generation foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip 8—scheduled for release in July 2026—with the Exynos 2600 chip.

The mass production of the Exynos 2600 holds significance far beyond a single mobile chip. It first demonstrates to the outside world that Samsung's 2nm GAA process has achieved mature mass production capabilities. Currently, TSMC's 2nm production capacity is heavily occupied by major clients such as Apple and NVIDIA. Samsung's technological breakthrough provides the market with an alternative option. Reports indicate AMD is discussing 2nm process cooperation with Samsung, potentially involving next-generation server or consumer CPUs. If the Exynos 2600 succeeds in the market, Samsung's foundry business is expected to attract more tech giants and may achieve profitability by 2027. This technological leap aligns with the global surge in AI phones. According to a Canalys report, the global shipment share of AI phones is projected to skyrocket from 16% in 2024 to 54% in 2028. With its first-mover advantage in 2nm chips, Samsung is poised to seize a key position in this critical battleground.

Despite impressive technical specifications, Samsung's 2nm journey is not without challenges. The biggest hurdle remains the long-standing "trust deficit" among external partners and the market. Analysts note that due to past overheating issues caused by Samsung's manufacturing processes, Qualcomm has canceled plans for a 2nm Snapdragon chip to be produced by Samsung, with its next-generation flagship chip still locked in with TSMC. This means that, at least in the short term, Samsung's advanced 2nm foundry capacity will primarily serve its own products. To truly become a formidable competitor to TSMC, Samsung must deliver stable and reliable performance with the Exynos 2600 in products like the Galaxy S26 that withstands market scrutiny.

Additionally, in terms of chip design, the Exynos 2600 does not integrate a 5G modem, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi modules. This means phones will require additional independent communication chips, potentially presenting challenges in integration and energy efficiency.

As Samsung makes rapid strides in logic chips, another segment of the global semiconductor industry—the memory chip market—is experiencing a "super cycle" driven by the AI boom. Data provided shows that demand from AI and data centers has strained global memory production capacity, leading to significant recent increases in NAND flash wafer contract prices. Chinese memory manufacturers have implemented production controls to stabilize prices, shifting their role from "supplementary" to a key factor influencing consumer-level pricing. This upward cost pressure from the upstream is quickly spreading across the entire supply chain. Global memory module manufacturer G.Skill has announced price increases for its products due to an "unprecedented" surge in DRAM raw material costs. Ultimately, cost pressures have reached ordinary consumers. Dell has announced plans to raise prices across its commercial computer lineup by 10% to 30%, citing tight chip supplies and rising prices. As Samsung engineers debug the first batch of Exynos 2600 wafers on their 2nm production lines, they are also pressing the start button for Samsung to reshape the semiconductor industry landscape. This is not merely a technological catch-up race, but a battle to regain market trust. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the memory chip price surge driven by insatiable AI computing demand has made ordinary laptops more expensive. From tiny transistors to the global supply chain, a quiet yet profound transformation has already begun.