Samsung’s Chip Strategy: Exynos 2600 Faces Yield Challenges, Limited to European Galaxy S26?
Samsung's decision to exclusively utilize the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Galaxy S25 series reportedly cost the company a staggering $400 million. This was largely due to poor yields of their own Exynos 2500 chip and an acknowledgement that it couldn't compete with Qualcomm's flagship offering. Will history repeat itself with the upcoming Galaxy S26?
Rumors suggest Samsung is planning to bring back the Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 series in 2026. However, a recent industry note from tipster @Jukanlosreve on X (formerly Twitter) indicates that due to continuing low yields in Samsung's 2nm process, the Exynos 2600 might be limited to European models of the Galaxy S26.
This potential regional split raises concerns, as past experience has shown that users with Exynos chips often reported poorer performance compared to their Snapdragon counterparts. An unnamed industry source even claims that the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will have a "clear performance advantage" over the Exynos 2600, even though the Exynos will be built on a newer 2nm process.
Key takeaways:
- Financial Impact: Dropping the Exynos 2500 cost Samsung $400 million.
- Yield Concerns: Low yields on the 2nm process could limit Exynos 2600 availability.
- Regional Split: European Galaxy S26 models may be the only ones with Exynos 2600.
- Performance Gap: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is rumored to outperform Exynos 2600.
- Samsung's Goal: Reduce reliance on Qualcomm and cut chipset costs.
Samsung LSI, the division behind Exynos, reportedly suffered a significant loss due to the Exynos 2500's omission. The design for the Exynos 2600 needs to be finalized by Q3 2025 to have any chance of appearing in the Galaxy S26. The pressure is on for Samsung to improve its 2nm GAA yields, which currently stand at around 30% during trial production. They aim to stabilize that process with a goal of achieving close to 70% yield before mass production to make the whole operation viable.
The crucial question is: Will Samsung resolve its yield issues and deliver a competitive Exynos 2600 chip? Or will European Galaxy S26 users experience a performance disadvantage compared to other regions? And, looking ahead, what are Samsung strategic goals for future silicon design?
Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
