Exynos 2600 for Galaxy S26: 10-core processor with new AMD GPU

Samsung is saying goodbye to small CPU cores in its mobile processor. The Exynos 2600 sounds promising on paper.

(Image: heise medien)

Dec 19, 2025 at 5:15 pm CET

4 min. read

By

Mark Mantel

Samsung is revealing the specifications of its Exynos 2600 mobile processor, which is set to land in some country versions of the Galaxy S26 smartphone series in 2026. The company is taking a cue from competitors Qualcomm (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) and Mediatek (Dimensity 9500) and is foregoing the previously established small ARM cores in its processor.

Instead, Samsung is relying on a total of ten large and medium CPU cores from ARM's renamed Lumex series (formerly Cortex): one C1-Ultra as the fastest computing core with a clock frequency of up to 3.8 GHz, three C1-Pro at 3.25 GHz, and six more C1-Pro at 2.75 GHz.

Schematic block diagram of a processor — Schematic drawing of the CPU cores of the Exynos 2600. The C1-Ultra is the largest core for high single-thread performance.

(Image: Samsung)

For those who can't make much of the new naming convention: The C1-Ultra is the successor to the Cortex-X925, and the C1-Pro is the successor to the Cortex-A725. Compact C1-Nano, also known as Cortex-A520, are not present in the Exynos 2600. While the C1-Pro cores take up more space on the chip, they are likely to operate more efficiently at lower clock speeds than the smaller core variant. Samsung remains silent on cache sizes; however, they are expected to vary between the three core clusters.

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New AMD GPU likely

Regarding the integrated graphics unit Xclipse 960, Samsung vaguely speaks of a new architecture without going into detail. All Xclipse GPUs have so far been based on AMD's RDNA technology. The specifications for the Xclipse 960 suggest the current RDNA 4 implementation: Samsung promises 50 percent more performance in ray tracing graphics effects and an AI-based upscaler. The Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS) is likely based on AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), which itself received an AI upscaler with the "Redstone" update and runs exclusively on RDNA 4 graphics cards of the Radeon RX 9000 series.

This would put Samsung ahead of AMD: Its hybrid processors, including the current Ryzen AI 300 series, are still based on RDNA 3.5.

A novelty concerns heat dissipation using a so-called Heat Path Block (HPB). Typically, a (LPDDR5X) memory chip is placed directly on the processor to save space. In the Exynos 2600, the chip covers only part of the processor. Samsung fills the rest with a high-permittivity epoxy molding compound (high-k EMC). This improves heat dissipation from the processor to the smartphone case.

Render image of the side structure of a mobile processor — Render image of how the high-k EMC material works in the Exynos 2600.

(Image: Samsung)

Further usual improvements are found in the integrated AI unit and image processor, among others. The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is said to be more than twice as fast as in the predecessor Exynos 2500. At the same time, Samsung promises lower latencies and higher efficiency.

2 nanometers on paper

Samsung, meanwhile, emphasizes that the Exynos 2600 is the first processor manufactured using 2-nanometer fabrication technology. The abbreviation GAA used on the product page stands for Gate-All-Around: a new transistor structure for modern manufacturing processes, which world market leader TSMC with N2 and Intel with 18A are also introducing.

However, in Samsung's case, everything points to a modest technological leap in chip manufacturing. In a quarterly report from the end of October 2025, the corporation stated that its first own 2nm generation will only offer five percent more performance or, alternatively, eight percent lower electrical power consumption compared to the second 3nm generation. Transistor density is expected to increase by only five percent.

This is significantly less than a full generational leap traditionally brings. In line with this, ZDNet Korea reported back in March 2024 that Samsung may have simply renamed a further improved 3nm process to SF2 (2 nm).

Samsung traditionally introduces its Galaxy smartphones in February. It is unclear in which countries the Galaxy S26 models will be released with the Exynos 2600 and in which with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

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