[News] Samsung Exynos 2600 Reportedly Boasts 75% GPU Lead Over Apple A19 in Internal Testing

Samsung bets on an Exynos 2600 comeback to prove its foundry strength, and recently revealed performance tests of the chip reportedly offer a glimmer of hope. According to The Korea Economic Daily, Samsung’s latest internal benchmarks show that the Exynos 2600’s NPU — which handles AI and machine learning workloads — delivers over six times the performance of Apple’s A19 Pro chip. Its multi-core CPU runs about 14% faster, while the GPU achieves up to 75% stronger performance than Apple’s. When compared with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the Exynos 2600’s NPU and GPU are also said to outperform by 30% and 29%, respectively, the report adds.

Though the internal test results paint a strong picture for Exynos, Wccftech cautions that such benchmarks don’t always translate to real-world performance. The report notes that most of Samsung’s performance tests were conducted under controlled conditions, such as low-temperature environments and with power limits unlocked. In actual smartphone use, it could still lead to thermal throttling, which may cause performance degradation.

Design Highlights and Potential Challenges for Exynos 2600

To address overheating concerns, Wccftech notes that Samsung is adopting Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) and introducing Heat Pass Block (HPB) technology in its first 2nm GAA silicon. The company may also switch to an aluminum frame for the Galaxy S26 series—similar to Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max—to enhance heat dissipation, the report adds.

However, TechNews notes that the yield of Samsung’s 2nm GAA chips reportedly remains around 50%, which is still well below TSMC’s stable level of over 80%. In addition, the Exynos 2600 may not integrate a 5G modem but instead adopts an external design, which could increase power consumption and complicate motherboard layout, according to TechNews, citing Wccftech.

Samsung’s Exynos 2600 Production Plans and Market Allocation

Samsung will reportedly begin mass production of the Exynos 2600 next month and has confirmed that it will be installed in the Galaxy S26 series. The company is expected to use its own AP for the Ultra model—the top-tier lineup—for the first time in four years, according to Business Korea, citing sources.

In terms of market distribution, TechNews notes that Samsung may continue its dual-sourcing strategy: Snapdragon chips will power devices in the U.S., Japan, and China, while Exynos models will be limited to Korea and Europe.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Reportedly Starts Exynos 2600 Mass Production, Yield Estimated to Reach 50%
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Purchasing Two ASML High-NA EUV Tools for Mass Production by 1H26

(Photo credit: Samsung)