Galaxy S26: Samsung officially discusses performance and efficiency of first-ever 2nm chips

Some fans remain sceptical about Samsung's upcoming chip – and for good reasons. Exynos processors have typically lagged behind their Qualcomm rivals in efficiency and performance, causing European Galaxy flagships to deliver largely underwhelming results compared to their American counterparts. This regional divide is most likely set to continue in 2026, at least for the Galaxy S26 and S26+. According to recent reports from South Korea, the successor to the Galaxy S25 Ultra (available here on Amazon) will be powered globally by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

In addition to its quarterly financial results, Samsung recently offered an early glimpse at the capabilities of the world’s first 2nm GAA manufacturing process, claiming a 5% performance increase, an 8% efficiency gain, and a 5% reduction in chip size compared to the company’s second-generation 3nm technology. Whilst these improvements may seem modest at first glance, they were sufficient to secure around 25% of all Galaxy S26 orders as well as a major contract with Tesla worth over $16.5 billion to produce AI6 chips. Samsung has reportedly achieved a 60% manufacturing yield for the Exynos 2600, exceeding the minimum threshold considered viable for mass production.

According to industry insiders cited by Chosun Biz, Samsung’s Mobile eXperience division can save roughly $20 to $30 per Galaxy S26 unit equipped with the Exynos 2600, compared to those using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Despite Samsung’s optimism about the Exynos 2600 driven by leaked benchmarks, there is growing concern that Exynos-powered Galaxy flagships may once again disappoint in everyday use. As noted by an industry insider, Samsung has opted for the standard ARM Lumex architecture, whilst Qualcomm and Apple have adopted their own chip designs with superior optimisation.