Samsung Electronics will begin mass production of its next-generation mobile application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, in November 2025, according to several South Korean media outlets. Reports indicate the Exynos 2600 is highly likely to be used in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series smartphones. Notably, the neural processing unit (NPU) performance of the Exynos 2600 is reportedly more than six times faster than Apple's A19 Pro.
Mass production scheduled for November 2025
Samsung's Exynos series mobile APs are designed by the System LSI Division and mass-produced by the Foundry Division. According to South Korean media outlets ChosunBiz and News1, the System LSI Division aims to start mass production of the Exynos 2600 in November 2025 and will supply it to Samsung's mobile eXperience (MX) Division.
Potential adoption in top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra
Industry observers expect the Exynos 2600 to be used in Samsung's next-generation flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series and expect it to be featured in the top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra model. If integrated into the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it would mark the first time in four years that an Exynos chip has been applied to the highest-end model of the Galaxy S series.
Exynos demonstrates improved performance
According to reports from South Korean outlet DigitalTimes, internal Samsung testing shows that the Exynos 2600's NPU outperforms Apple's A19 Pro by approximately six times and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 by about 30%. It also surpasses both competitors in terms of multi-core CPU and GPU performance, potentially resolving past debates over Exynos' capabilities.
Samsung has also separated the AP and modem chips within its system-on-chip (SoC) design for the first time, a move expected to enhance overall performance.
What remains to be seen is whether the Exynos 2600 will be adopted across the entire Galaxy S26 lineup. If it is, it could help the System LSI Division improve its performance and boost the utilization rate of the Foundry Division, while also reducing costs for the MX Division.
Samsung previously equipped the Galaxy S22 series with the Exynos 2200 AP; however, heat issues led to the exclusive use of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 series released in 2023. In the Galaxy S24 series released in 2024, only the standard Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus models were equipped with the Exynos 2400 chip. In 2025, the Exynos 2500 was ultimately not used in the Galaxy S25 series due to its failure to meet yield and performance standards.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
