Samsung has a limited window of opportunity to ensure that its next year’s Galaxy S26 lineup does not turn into a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2-exclusive affair, and that is with the Exynos 2600. Unfortunately, according to a launch timeline suggested by a new report, the next-generation chipset’s design needs to be completed by the third quarter of 2025 to ensure that the silicon will power the Korean giant’s upcoming flagship family. Unfortunately, the current yield situation may not instill the necessary level of confidence.
Trial production of Samsung’s 2nm GAA technology has shown promise, but yields still need to improve to allow for the full-scale manufacturing of the Exynos 2600
The 2nm GAA yields were previously reported at 30 percent, meaning that Samsung has displayed better progress than it did with its 3nm GAA technology. However, this figure is significantly less than TSMC’s achievements, with the Taiwanese semiconductor titan obtaining double that with its own trial production of the 2nm process. Needless to say, time is not on Samsung’s side, and according to previous estimates, the Korean giant had around 10 months to kick off 2nm GAA’s mass production.
Unfortunately, with the latest update from The Bell, Samsung needs to be more expeditious than the pace at which it is currently operating because the Exynos 2600 needs to be completed by ‘finished by the middle of the third quarter of this year.’ Now, the report does not specify if it refers to the chipset’s design or mass production, so there is some ambiguity in this statement.
Then again, if the Exynos 2600’s design is completed by the aforementioned timeline, it should give Samsung sufficient breathing room to enter mass production of 2nm GAA wafers and ultimately use the cutting-edge SoC in the Galaxy S26 family. The Exynos 2600 prototype’s production was rumored to kick off in May this year, with the company laser-focused on improving its yields to make it viable for manufacturing.
The trade-off in focusing all of its manpower, energy, and resources on the Exynos 2600 is that the Exynos 2500’s launch becomes uncertain. As it so happens, we reported in late February that Samsung had already commenced mass production, with a release expected to happen in the second half of 2025, but there is still no indication on which models this silicon will be found in. At this point, it is prudent to keep our fingers crossed and see what surprises Samsung has planned for us, and we hope that there is renewed competition from the company.
News Source: The Bell
