Samsung has begun discussing its first 2nm chips in public, and the figures are unexpectedly modest, which is causing some people to take notice. The business plans to begin shipping the new silicon in 2026, beginning with the Galaxy S26 series in Europe. Although the upgrades don’t seem like a “revolution” on paper, they are already helping Samsung earn large contracts and higher expectations.
Samsung’s worldwide flagship strategy has been weak for years due to its Exynos chips. Customers in Europe have frequently received slower, less effective devices than their Snapdragon-equipped counterparts in the US, and it appears that the S26 and S26+ will follow suit. While the S26 Ultra is expected to continue using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 globally, those two variants are anticipated to employ the Exynos 2600.
Exynos 2600 performance boost
Samsung appears confident, though. According to the company’s most recent financial report, the new 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process is expected to improve performance by around 5%, increase efficiency by 8%, and reduce chip size by about 5% when compared to its second-generation 3nm process. Those figures are not that large on their own. However, they are already paying off. Based on early 2nm capabilities, Samsung reportedly acquired about 25% of Galaxy S26 orders and a huge $16.5 billion contract with Tesla for its AI6 CPUs.
Another aspect of the jigsaw is yield. According to Samsung, the Exynos 2600 is currently achieving a yield rate of over 60%, which is supposedly sufficient to begin significant production. In comparison to employing Snapdragon chips, the company might save $20–$30 per unit if that remains true, which could result in a significant reduction in the bill of materials (BoM) for the European S26 models.
However, not everyone believes that this is Samsung’s desired return. Exynos has a lengthy history of appearing promising on spec sheets but faltering once the phones are in the hands of consumers. Additionally, there is still a fundamental design gap: Samsung continues to use ARM’s standard Lumex core designs, which typically lag behind in real-world optimization, while Qualcomm and Apple develop highly customized CPU architectures.
The question is rather straightforward as the Galaxy S26 debut draws near: is Samsung’s early 2nm jump a real turning point or is it just another case of déjà vu for European consumers? It’s obvious that the corporation believes little steps will build up. It’s another matter entirely if consumers concur.
