Samsung begins mass production of Exynos 2600, the world’s first 2 nm smartphone chip

Samsung has officially started mass production of the new Exynos 2600, set to become the world’s first 2 nm chip for smartphones. According to The Bell, the ramp began ahead of schedule after yields topped 50%—a strong result for a brand-new manufacturing process and a sign the company is confident in its next step.

The Exynos 2600 was developed by Samsung System LSI and is built on the company’s first‑generation 2 nm process, SF2, which uses Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors. Samsung says this node delivers a 12% performance uplift and a 25% improvement in energy efficiency compared with its 3 nm SF3 process. On paper, that’s a meaningful jump.

Insiders say the Exynos 2600 will power only the Galaxy S26 Pro and is likely to be exclusive to European and South Korean versions of the phone. In China and North America, the base model is expected to run the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Galaxy S26 Edge and Ultra are set to use Qualcomm chips worldwide. If this lineup holds, Samsung keeps Exynos in a focused but high-visibility role.

The new processor will compete with Apple A19, MediaTek Dimensity 9500, and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5—all manufactured on TSMC’s 3 nm process. Unlike those, Exynos 2600 features graphics based on AMD RDNA rather than Arm Immortalis, a choice that could offer an advantage in gaming and other graphics-heavy tasks.

In short, Samsung is betting on the distinct positioning of Exynos 2600. The real test is ahead: whether the world’s first 2 nm smartphone chip meets expectations and stands toe-to-toe with the established offerings from Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek.