Home
News
You are here

Despite ridiculously low yields, Samsung says all systems are go for the 2026 Exynos 2600 AP

By Alan Friedman

Published: Nov 29, 2024, 8:52 PM

0comments

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.

A Samsung Exynos placeholder appears on a background designed to look like the circuitry on a phone's motherboard.

Last May, we told you that Samsung had started working on its next application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600. The semiconductor would be produced by Samsung Foundry using the foundry's first generation 2nm node known as SF2. The chipset would be used to power the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ in certain markets during 2026. Originally, the thought was that Samsung would be countering Apple's first 2nm chips which would power the iPhone 17 series next year.

Black Friday means that it's time for you to pick up the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Score $359 off the Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray

Get the Galaxy S24 Ultra with 256GB of storage on Amazon this Black Friday and save $359. The phone offers top-tier specs, including a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and 12GB of RAM. In addition, it takes beautiful photos and has Corning Gorilla Armor that provides a stunning anti-reflective viewing experience. The model is now 28% off only in Titanium Gray.

$359 off (28%)

Buy at Amazon

Save $200 on the Galaxy S24 FE at Amazon now!

The just-released Galaxy S24 FE isn't left out of the discount fun, either! This bad boy is enjoying a huge $200 price cut at Amazon for Black Friday. That brings the model to irresistible prices with Amazon's epic offer. The newly-launched Fan Edition model features a top-notch camera setup with a 50 MP main sensor, taking lovely-looking photos.

$200 off (31%)

Buy at Amazon

Galaxy S24+ is $256 off at Amazon

The Galaxy S24+ with 256GB of storage is also available at discounted prices at this year's Black Friday. This fella is just as brilliant as its Ultra relative, though it sports a slightly smaller 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. Get your Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy-powered phone and save $256 at Amazon!

$256 off (26%)

Buy at Amazon

Galaxy S24+, 512GB: Now $275 off at the Samsung Shop app

The Galaxy S24+ with 256GB of storage was a no-brainer at the Samsung Shop app, where users could save $311 on some models. This bargain is no longer live, and users can now take advantage of a $275 discount on Online Exclusive colorways of the 512GB variant. The S24+ has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rates and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip.

$275 off (25%)

$844 ⁹⁹

$1119 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

Grab the Galaxy S24 and save $158 this Black Friday!

The 256GB Galaxy S24 is now $160 off in one colorway only. The model in Marble Gray is a real hit right now, but there are limited quantities in stock. The Galaxy S24 features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip

$158 off (18%)

Buy at Amazon

13% off the Galaxy S24 at the Samsung Store

Want something more compact but just as premium? The Galaxy S24 is just what you need. This bad boy features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip. On Black Friday, Samsung lets you get one for $100 off. The same discount is currently available at the Samsung Shop app. Extra savings available with Samsung Offer Programs.

$100 off (13%)

$699 ⁹⁹

$799 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy S24 FE is now $175 off at the Samsung Shop app

The Galaxy S24 FE was exceptionally affordable this Black Friday at $199 off via the Samsung mobile shop app. While you can no longer claim that discount, the model is still quite attractive at $175 off its usual price. You get the discount with Samsung Instant Savings, without any trade-in.

$175 off (27%)

$474 ⁹⁹

$649 ⁹⁹

Buy at Samsung

The 2nm battle would be on as Apple would rely on TSMC's first-gen 2nm node known as N2 to build the A19 and A19 Pro chipsets. But the gang in Cupertino apparently decided to make a big change according to TF International's reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst says that the A19 and A19 Pro SoCs powering the iPhone 17 series will be made using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process node aka N3P. As a result, instead of Samsung answering Apple with its 2nm Exynos 2600, Apple will be countering Samsung.

To reiterate, instead of the iPhone 17 line becoming the first phones to use a 2nm processor next September followed by the 2nm Exynos 2600 powering the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ in early 2026, the Exynos 2600 might beat the A19 and A19 Pro and break the 2nm tape first. However, earlier this week the rumor mill spit out a shocker; Samsung was going to cancel the Exynos 2600 because of incredibly low yields rumored to be 10% to 20% on Samsung Foundry's 2nm process node.

A silicon wafer in the process of being turned into chips.

Samsung Foundry desperately needs to improve its 2nm yield which is in a range of 10%-20%. | Image credit-Samsung Foundry

This is an issue that Samsung Foundry has been battling with for years dating back to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The yield is expressed as a percentage of the number of functional chips produced from a silicon wafer. The rumored 10%-20% yield for Samsung Foundry is so low that canceling the Exynos 2600 seemed like the right call to make. However, a Samsung spokesman said this week that the rumor about the Exynos 2600 being canceled was not true.

"I can confirm that the claim that Exynos 2600 production is being canceled is not true and is based on groundless rumors."-Samsung spokesman

There has been speculation that the Exynos 2600 will use an in-house GPU instead of the usual AMD-sourced GPU. That is just speculation. The big news here is that despite talk of low yields and the rumored cancelation of the Exynos 2600 AP, it appears that Samsung does intend to produce the chipset using Samsung Foundry's 2nm node in time to be included with the 2026 flagship line. Instead of the iPhone 17 line being the first to market with a 2nm AP, it now looks like the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ will have that distinction.

View Full Bio

Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.