Samsung failed to release the Exynos 2500 in time, and even though the latter’s mass production phase has commenced, it is a little too late for the company, as its flagship smartphone series exclusively ships with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. What the company is said to be focusing on is its 2nm GAA process and, by extension, the next-generation Exynos 2600. According to the latest report, the Korean giant is said to have diverted its focus to its upcoming silicon, with a prototype version said to enter mass production in May this year.
Final decision to utilize the Exynos 2600 in Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series will be made by the end of 2025
A trial production run of the Exynos 2600 on Samsung’s 2nm GAA technology was previously said to have obtained a 30 percent yield for the company, which is decent progress, but there is significant ground to cover. To help bring these yields to an acceptable threshold, Fnnews reports that Samsung has formed a ‘task force’ to oversee all efforts to improve the firm’s manufacturing processes at 2nm and below.
A company representative previously mentioned that the yield issue was always Samsung’s ‘Achilles Heel,’ but the cutting-edge nodes are displaying stabilization signs. While the chipset division will likely do everything to ensure that the Exynos 2600 can be mass produced in larger volume, the final decision to add it to the Galaxy S26’s specifications will be decided by the end of 2025.
This means that not only does Samsung need to improve its 2nm GAA yields, but it also has to ensure that the Exynos 2600 is, at a bare minimum, on par with the competition, which, in this case, would be the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, the Dimensity 9500, and Apple’s A19 and A19 Pro. Analysts have commented that the 2nm GAA technology is showing better results than the older 3nm GAA variant, but time is not on Samsung’s side as it needs to show tangible results.
So far, we have reported that Samsung’s foundry will not mass produce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, with Qualcomm said to have placed all orders with TSMC. This is just one example of the company losing out on lucrative customers, and this cycle will continue unless a mammoth-sized change is introduced.
News Source: Fnnews
