Exynos 2600 may debut another in-house Samsung replacement
Last year, it was reported that the Exynos 2600 would have an in-house Samsung GPU. A new leak (translated source) gives further credence to this claim. If true, it could be a contentious shift on Samsung’s part, as many tech enthusiasts still prefer Snapdragon chips over Exynos. Another in-house Samsung component will be subject to bias, regardless of whether it is warranted or not.
Nevertheless, this is just part of Samsung and Apple becoming more self-reliant to decrease costs. The iPhone 16e debuted with Apple’s in-house C1 cellular modem, and the Galaxy S26 may come with Samsung’s own GPU if the Exynos 2600 is ready on time. Samsung was unable to prepare the Exynos 2500 for the launch of the Galaxy S25 line, and is determined to not repeat that mistake.
The entire Samsung Galaxy S25 series uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. | Image credit — Samsung
If the Exynos 2600 debuts in the Galaxy S26, then Samsung will have beat Apple to a 2 nm chip. The iPhone 18 will use the 3 nm A19 chips manufactured by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company). However, if the Exynos 2600 isn’t ready on time, then Samsung will likely use the more expensive 3 nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.
A former Huawei GPU lead is reportedly working with Samsung to design its in-house GPU for the Exynos 2600. Prior to this, Exynos chips have used GPUs designed after AMD’s architecture. As this will be a first-generation design, it may not be as powerful as the competition, but I don’t think it should take Samsung too long to improve upon this.
Lastly, some consumers may not even get to use Samsung’s in-house GPU on their Galaxy S26. Reports indicate that the company is moving back to separate variants for different regions. So, while some countries will get the Exynos 2600, others may still get a Snapdragon phone instead.
