The troubles that Samsung experienced with its 3nm GAA technology have not been repeated with its 2nm GAA node. At least, that is what the latest string of reports suggests, hinting that the Korean foundry may have finally managed to overcome the grievances that made it lose its edge in this race. With the trial production run of its Exynos 2600 on the 2nm GAA process said to have reached 30 percent yields, the company could be on its way to commencing full-scale wafer production, but that all depends on whether it can scale those yields to acceptable levels.
With TSMC’s 2nm yields said to be above 60 percent, the Taiwanese semiconductor giant is banking on the waiting game instead of attempting to beat Samsung in the race
There is no telling how much Samsung’s 2nm GAA yields have improved since it was reported that its trial manufacturing had touched 30 percent, but the Exynos 2600 prototype reportedly fabricated on the aforementioned technology is said to enter production in May this year. This headstart will give Samsung the necessary breathing room to ensure that it can slowly improve its yields and make mass production viable. At the bare minimum, the 2nm GAA node needs to have a yield of 70 percent to start accepting orders from other customers.
As for the Exynos 2600, its design needs to be completed by the third quarter of this year to have a sliver of a chance of finding a place in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. Even if Samsung has an edge against TSMC regarding the launch timeline, readers should note that the Korean behemoth held this advantage before when it officially announced the first-generation 3nm GAA process back in 2022, so a possibility exists where history repeats itself. When comparing yields, TSMC has a convincing lead against its foundry rival, with the trial production of its 2nm technology said to have achieved 60 percent.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously commented that since this figure was reported around three months ago, it would likely mean that those yields would be well above 60 percent, with the manufacturing process being utilized for Apple’s A20 SoC that will be found in the iPhone 18 series in the second half of 2026. With TSMC’s current progress, the company has the capability to reach 50,000 monthly wafers by the end of 2025, so even with Samsung’s lead, its competitor will be towering over it. However, as mentioned earlier, if those 2nm GAA yields pick up, nothing will stop Samsung from regaining its lost market share.
