Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon vs Apple A17 Pro: Samsung's 2nm Comeback Chip Shocks the Smartphone World

by Marcin Frąckiewicz
in Chipset Comparisons, Mobile Technology, Smartphone Reviews
on 29 August 2025

Samsung’s Exynos 2600 is a 10-core 2nm mobile powerhouse, featuring a unique 1+3+6 CPU architecture and an Xclipse 960 GPU co-developed with AMD sammobile.com sammobile.com. Early leaks suggest it’s Samsung’s first chip on a cutting-edge 2nm GAA process wccftech.com.
Benchmark leaks show Exynos 2600 closing the gap with Qualcomm’s best. In Geekbench 6, it hit ~3,309 single-core and 11,256 multi-core, edging past the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s average scores by ~10–20% notebookcheck.net. Its RDNA-based GPU even outscored the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s Adreno 830 by ~15% in 3DMark tests sammobile.com, though sustained performance in phones remains to be seen sammobile.com.
CPU & Architecture: Exynos 2600 packs 10 CPU cores (likely one Cortex-X935 prime at ~3.8 GHz, three Cortex-A730 performance cores ~2.96 GHz, and six mid-tier cores ~2.4 GHz) – an all-big-core design with no small efficiency cores sammobile.com. This mirrors MediaTek’s bold Dimensity 9300 approach (4×Cortex-X4 + 4×A720, no A510 cores) aimed at max performance reddit.com reddit.com. By contrast, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 uses a traditional 8-core layout (1×Cortex-X4 + 5×A720 + 2×A520) on 4nm androidauthority.com, and Apple’s A17 Pro has 6 custom cores (2 performance + 4 efficiency) on TSMC 3nm androidauthority.com androidauthority.com.
Performance Showdown: Apple’s A17 Pro still leads in single-threaded speed – about 26% ahead of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Geekbench 6 androidauthority.com – but Exynos 2600’s new cores appear poised to challenge Apple’s dominance. Its single-core score (~3300) is already higher than any Snapdragon 8 Elite device tested notebookcheck.net and even edges out the A17 Pro (~2977) cputronic.com. In multi-core, Exynos’s deca-core design delivered ~11.3K, easily topping Apple’s ~7.3K (A17 Pro) and matching Qualcomm’s upcoming next-gen “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5” in early comparisons wccftech.com. Real-world gains mean snappier multitasking and on-par (or better) app performance versus rival flagships.
GPU & Gaming: Samsung’s Xclipse 960 GPU (based on AMD RDNA tech) is hitting console-like graphics milestones. In 3DMark’s Steel Wool (Nomad) test, Exynos 2600 scored 3,135 points (23.2 FPS) vs Snapdragon 8 Elite’s 2,681 (19.9 FPS), a ~15% lead sammobile.com. It supports hardware ray tracing, like its Xclipse 920/940 predecessors, and Vulkan 1.4 sammobile.com. Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs are no slouch – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s GPU beat Apple’s A17 Pro by 32% in 3DMark Wildlife Extreme and 37% in ray-tracing benchmarks androidauthority.com – but Samsung’s partnership with AMD is finally paying off with competitive graphics. Game tests hint that Exynos GPUs can excel in certain workloads (e.g. GravityMark or ray-traced scenes) eureka.patsnap.com. That said, sustained gaming will depend on thermals: Qualcomm’s reference Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 throttled to half performance in a stress test androidauthority.com, and Samsung’s own leak came from a well-cooled test board sammobile.com – meaning real phones may narrow these GPU gaps once heat is factored in.
AI & NPU: All contenders pack serious on-device AI muscle. Exynos 2600 implements ARM’s new Scalable Matrix Extensions (SME) to accelerate machine learning sammobile.com, and Samsung claims its Neural Processing Unit offers “significant performance improvements” over the previous gen wccftech.com. Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 hits up to 45 TOPS (trillion ops/sec) at peak, about 15× last-gen, enabling features like running large language models on-device forbes.com. Apple’s 16-core Neural Engine in A17 Pro is rated at 35 TOPS en.wikipedia.org and powers advanced camera and AR features. Google’s Tensor G3 (Pixel 8) lags behind in raw speed – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is roughly 68% faster in multi-core than Tensor G3 androidauthority.com – but Google emphasizes custom AI silicon for voice recognition, image processing, and on-device Assistant smarts. In short, Exynos 2600’s AI capabilities (with SME and a beefed-up NPU) are geared to catch up in an area where Google and Apple heavily compete, supporting smarter camera features, voice AI, and possibly on-device generative AI tasks.
Connectivity & Modem: The Exynos 2600 inherits Samsung’s cutting-edge 5G modem tech. The previous Exynos 2400’s integrated modem already supported Sub-6 GHz 5G up to 9.6 Gbps and mmWave up to 12.1 Gbps download semiconductor.samsung.com reddit.com, slightly topping Qualcomm’s X70 modem (10 Gbps) in specs. It also supports NTN satellite communications for emergency messaging microchipusa.com – a feature Snapdragon and Apple introduced in recent generations. We can expect Exynos 2600 to match these with 5G SA/NSA, mmWave, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4 capabilities, aligning with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s Wi-Fi 7 readiness androidauthority.com. In practice, network limits matter more than theoretical 12 Gbps speeds androidauthority.com, but Samsung is ensuring its in-house chip isn’t behind on connectivity. The Galaxy S26 phones using Exynos 2600 should have the same networking features (ultra-fast 5G, latest Wi-Fi/BT, possibly satellite SOS) as their Snapdragon-toting variants.
Efficiency & Thermals: Samsung is tackling past Exynos weaknesses head-on. Built on 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors, Exynos 2600 aims for major efficiency gains. Samsung Foundry’s GAA process can reduce leakage and power draw at high clocks, though yields have been a challenge sammobile.com. To further curb overheating, Samsung will implement a new “Heat Pass Block” (HPB) packaging in Exynos 2600 – essentially a built-in mini heatsink layer beneath the DRAM, improving heat dissipation wccftech.com wccftech.com. This HPB, combined with Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) introduced in Exynos 2400, is expected to boost multi-core performance and allow the chip to sustain peak clocks longer wccftech.com wccftech.com. Early reports say Exynos 2600’s prototype had its prime core at only 3.55 GHz (lower than rival Cortex-X9 cores in development) wccftech.com, but with better cooling and final tuning it could push higher safely. Notably, Exynos 2400 already showed efficiency strengths: in Galaxy S24 models, it delivered longer battery life in daily use and throttled less under extended load compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, albeit running a bit warmer eureka.patsnap.com eureka.patsnap.com. It maintained more consistent performance during long gaming sessions, whereas the Snapdragon would often dial back to manage heat eureka.patsnap.com. If Exynos 2600 builds on this – with 2nm efficiency and advanced cooling – Samsung might finally shake the “hot and hungry” stigma. Still, real-world tests will be critical. A leakster cautioned that the 15% GPU win was on a test platform with ample cooling; inside a phone, the Exynos 2600 may perform on par or even below the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s GPU if thermal limits kick in sammobile.com. Bottom line: Samsung is investing in thermal design to ensure the Exynos 2600 can run fast without throttling – a crucial factor for gaming and 4K video recording stability.
Comparisons with Rival SoCs:
• Qualcomm Snapdragon (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 & 8 Elite): The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (2024 flagship) is built on TSMC’s refined 4nm node and introduced a 1+5+2 core setup (Cortex-X4 up to ~3.3 GHz) androidauthority.com. It brought strong gains – in fact, in our tests the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s multi-core beat Apple’s A17 Pro (7506 vs 7278) by using more cores androidauthority.com – and its Adreno 750 GPU set new records, outpacing even Apple’s GPU by >30% in graphics tests androidauthority.com. Qualcomm then launched the Snapdragon 8 “Elite” chip for 2025 devices, which appears to be an even more powerful variant (sometimes referred to as Gen 3+ or Gen 4). The 8 Elite (SM8750-AB) in the Galaxy S25 series runs higher clocks (“for Galaxy” editions often add a boost ~5–10%) sammobile.com and was Qualcomm’s fastest smartphone chip to date. Early Geekbench results for an upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 (the 2026 chip, confusingly also called “Gen 5” by some) show a Galaxy S26 Edge scoring ~3393 single / 11,515 multi wccftech.com. Exynos 2600 is already in that ballpark: scoring 3309 / 11,256 and essentially going toe-to-toe with Qualcomm’s next-gen silicon wccftech.com. Wccftech notes this comparison was against an “underclocked” Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, whose performance cores were capped at 4.0 GHz instead of 4.74 GHz, leaving some headroom wccftech.com. So a fully unleashed Snapdragon may still edge ahead – but only by a few percent. This is a remarkable turnaround for Samsung, whose prior Exynos 2200/2400 lagged well behind contemporary Snapdragons. It suggests Exynos 2600 can finally “match other flagship chipsets”, delivering a “viable competitor” after years of Snapdragon dominance wccftech.com. Qualcomm does hold advantages in custom IP: the Snapdragon 8 Elite series from 2025 onward features Qualcomm’s own Oryon CPU cores (from their Nuvia acquisition) instead of stock ARM cores sammobile.com. These custom cores could regain an edge in efficiency or peak IPC. Additionally, Snapdragon’s Adreno GPU is extremely well-optimized for Android games and drivers. Even if Exynos’s raw GPU scores are higher on paper, Adreno’s optimization might keep Qualcomm on top in sustained gaming or compatibility. Verdict: Exynos 2600 appears to neutralize much of Snapdragon’s advantage – a Samsung chip that can trade blows in CPU and GPU with the Snapdragon 8 Elite is something we haven’t seen in years. If Samsung can also meet Qualcomm’s power efficiency (a big “if”), the era of all-Snapdragon Galaxy flagships may truly be ending. • Apple Silicon (A17 Pro and beyond): Apple’s A17 Pro (in 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro) is a 3nm, 6-core SoC with industry-leading per-core performance. Its custom Avalanche performance cores (3.78 GHz) and Blizzard efficiency cores gave it a ~26% single-core lead over Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 androidauthority.com at launch, though multi-core was closer due to fewer total cores. Apple’s secret sauce is a custom architecture and vertical integration – the A17’s single-threaded output (~2900–3000 Geekbench 6) still outpaced early Exynos 2400 results. However, Exynos 2600 may flip the script in single-core: with a new Cortex-X935 at ~3.8 GHz, it scored above 3300, potentially surpassing Apple’s A17 Pro in raw single-core speed notebookcheck.net. That’s a milestone – Apple had a comfortable single-core lead for years. Of course, Apple’s next chips will respond: by late 2024, the A18 Pro (3nm enhanced) reportedly continued incremental gains, and 2025’s A19 may jump further. In multi-core, Exynos 2600’s 10-core design blows past the A17 Pro’s score (11K vs ~7.3K) wccftech.com androidauthority.com, though direct comparison is tricky since iOS and Android handle tasks differently. GPU-wise, Apple introduced a new 6-core GPU with hardware ray tracing in the A17 Pro, enabling console-quality games like Resident Evil Village on iPhone. Yet Qualcomm and Samsung aren’t far behind – or are even ahead. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s GPU beat the A17 Pro in peak FPS as noted (Apple possibly tuned for efficiency rather than absolute fps) androidauthority.com. The Exynos 2600’s Xclipse 960 should at least rival Apple’s GPU; if it’s indeed ~15% over Snapdragon 8 Elite sammobile.com, that would put it comfortably above A17 Pro’s GPU output. However, Apple excels in real-world optimizations: their chips sustain performance via on-device metal optimization and have class-leading performance per watt. Apple’s A17 Pro initially faced some thermal issues (some iPhone 15 units overheated on release), but a software update mitigated it without major performance loss androidauthority.com, showcasing Apple’s control over both hardware and software thermals. Apple’s Neural Engine and ISP also deliver superb camera experiences (e.g. instant Photo HDR, 4K ProRes video). Samsung will leverage Exynos’s improved NPU and 200 MP camera support (Exynos 2400 could handle 200 MP and 8K60 video androidauthority.com) to compete in photography. Still, Apple’s tight integration means features like Photonic Engine, ARKit, and on-device Siri are hard to beat in seamlessness. Summary: Apple’s latest A-series remains the single-core champ and a marvel of efficiency, but Samsung’s Exynos 2600 narrows the gap significantly. In areas like multi-core and graphics, the Exynos could even take a lead over an A17 Pro notebookcheck.net sammobile.com. The true test will be efficiency – Apple is likely still ahead in delivering high performance at lower power draw, thanks to its custom cores and 3nm node. But if Exynos 2600 can come close while powering a high-refresh QHD+ Galaxy screen and lots of background Android processes, it will be a huge win for Samsung’s design team. • MediaTek Dimensity: MediaTek made headlines with the Dimensity 9300 (late 2023) by using an “all-big-core” CPU approach. It packs 4× Cortex-X4 + 4× Cortex-A720 (no small A510 cores at all), built on TSMC’s N4P node reddit.com. Essentially, they replaced the usual efficiency cores with lower-clocked A720s (at ~2.0 GHz) for better IPC reddit.com. This wide-and-slow strategy aimed to boost multi-core output and efficiency under load – and indeed, MediaTek claimed up to 33% power savings in multi-core tasks versus the previous gen by avoiding weak A510 cores mediatek.com. The Dimensity 9300’s GPU (Arm Immortalis G720, 12-core) also includes hardware ray tracing support. In practice, the D9300 delivered strong performance, but early reports suggested it still fell short of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in some benchmarks and might run hot under extreme loads (four X4 cores can draw serious power). The subsequent Dimensity 9400/9500 (2024–25) continue this trajectory. However, leaked Geekbench scores put the Dimensity 9500 notably behind the latest Snapdragon and Exynos; in fact, the Exynos 2600 appears “miles ahead of the Dimensity 9500” in leaked benchmarks wccftech.com. MediaTek’s focus has also been on AI – the Dimensity chips have an integrated APU (AI processor) and were first to enable certain AI photo features on-device. Yet, they often lag a bit in GPU driver polish and sustained performance compared to Qualcomm. With Exynos 2600 adopting a deca-core (1+3+6) layout without any tiny cores, Samsung is following a similar philosophy to MediaTek’s all-big design. This could indicate that both companies (unlike Qualcomm) believe modern mid cores are efficient enough that the smallest cores aren’t needed – a sentiment echoed by industry observers noting A510 “E-cores” offered minimal benefit beyond cost savings reddit.com reddit.com. All told, the Dimensity flagship chips offer competitive performance for OEMs like Vivo or Xiaomi, but Samsung’s Exynos 2600 may actually outclass MediaTek’s best for the first time in recent memory, especially in graphics and peak CPU speeds. • Google Tensor: Google’s Tensor SoCs (used in Pixel phones) are essentially customized Exynos designs with Google’s own AI/ISP enhancements. For example, the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 is believed to be based on an Exynos platform (codename “Zuma”, akin to an Exynos 2300) with a 9-core CPU (1× Cortex-X3, 4× A715, 4× A510). Google tends to use slightly older core IP on a mature node – the Tensor G3 is built on Samsung’s 4nm process and thus trails the latest Qualcomm/MediaTek in brute force. Benchmarks show Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is roughly 68% faster in multi-core than Tensor G3 androidauthority.com, and GPU performance similarly lags a generation behind (the Pixel 8’s Mali-G715 GPU can’t catch an Adreno 740, let alone the newer Adreno 750). However, Google prioritizes AI and machine learning workloads: each Tensor chip has TPU blocks that accelerate things like voice typing, image segmentation, Magic Eraser, and on-device translation. As a result, Pixel phones perform those tasks amazingly well even if their raw CPU/GPU scores are modest. Samsung’s Exynos 2600 doesn’t directly compete with Google’s Tensor (since Pixels don’t use Exynos anymore except as a foundation), but it’s noteworthy that Samsung’s advancements could benefit Google. If Google continues to partner with Samsung’s SLSI, a future Tensor G5/G6 might leverage Exynos 2600’s architecture – meaning Pixel phones in a year or two could see huge leaps by inheriting this 2nm, deca-core design (albeit Google often underclocks to manage thermals). At present though, Tensor chips remain a step behind: they’re comparable to an Exynos from the previous year with extra AI sauce. In user experience, that means Pixels aren’t as swift in heavy 3D games or multi-core crunching, but they excel in computational photography and smart features. For Samsung, the Exynos 2600 is about catching Qualcomm and Apple, leaving Tensor to play a different game focused on AI integration over raw output.
Real-World Performance (Beyond Benchmarks): Pure numbers only tell part of the story – how do these chips fare in everyday use? Early indications are that Exynos 2600 will make Galaxy phones zippier than ever. With 10 high-performance cores and faster memory (likely LPDDR5X), one can expect ultra-smooth multitasking – e.g. jumping between dozens of apps, split-screen use, or background tasks syncing – without the slowdowns older Exynos devices sometimes showed. In gaming, if Samsung can rein in throttling, the Exynos 2600’s GPU prowess could shine in long sessions. The AMD-based Xclipse GPU supports advanced graphics features like ray-traced reflections and global illumination, and Samsung has been working with game developers to utilize these (Exynos 2200 showcased ray tracing in games like Warchief). While most mobile games today are optimized for Adreno or Apple GPUs, a more popular Exynos could spur better optimization for Xclipse as well. Frame rates on popular titles (PUBG, Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) should easily hit 60 FPS at high settings on all these top chips. In fact, Galaxy S24 users with Exynos 2400 reported comparable gaming performance to the Snapdragon variant, with only minor dips after long play and slightly higher device temps. The Exynos 2600, with improved cooling, could offer near-constant peak FPS until battery depletion. For photography, Samsung flagships with Exynos 2600 will leverage its upgraded ISP and AI for advanced features: multi-frame night mode, 8K video with HDR, and real-time object recognition. Galaxy phones already use AI to enhance photos (Scene Optimizer, Detail Enhancer), and a more powerful NPU means these can run faster and more frequently. Expect snappier night shots and the ability to apply effects like background blur or Magic Eraser nearly instantly. Apple’s A17 Pro still has an edge in raw image processing speed (thanks to tight HW-SW integration), and Google’s Tensor leverages its AI algorithms for class-leading Night Sight and Photo Unblur. Samsung is likely to counter with sheer silicon brute force – the Exynos 2600’s ISP can handle up to 320 MP images and multiple camera streams (per earlier Exynos specs), so it’s ready for Samsung’s 200 MP sensors and 8K video recording with ease androidauthority.com. Multitasking and UI fluidity should be excellent across the board: modern UIs like One UI 7/8 (2025–26) will utilize scheduler optimizations to distribute tasks across the 10 cores. Minor stutters seen in past Exynos Galaxy phones (especially under heavy load or thermal throttling) are likely to be far less frequent if the 2600 lives up to its efficiency promises. Users can expect that even under stress – say, navigating with GPS while streaming music and downloading updates – the Galaxy phone stays responsive, whereas older Exynos generations sometimes struggled in such scenarios. In summary, real-world use will probably validate that Exynos 2600 is no longer a liability but a strength: it should handle gaming, photography, and heavy multitasking on par with (or in certain cases better than) its Snapdragon and Apple counterparts. Of course, battery life will be the final measure – if the 2nm process and optimizations let Samsung deliver all-day battery with this power, it will truly vindicate the Exynos return. Notably, one detailed comparison found the Exynos 2400 already provided longer battery endurance under load than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and throttled less over time eureka.patsnap.com eureka.patsnap.com. That suggests Samsung has been tuning Exynos for sustained performance and efficiency, which bodes well for real-world device experiences where consistency matters more than peak scores.
Deployment in Galaxy Devices: Samsung’s strategy with Exynos 2600 seems to be a cautious reintroduction into its flagship lineup. After the mixed results of Exynos 2200 in the Galaxy S22 and the hiatus in the S23 (which went all-Snapdragon), Samsung tested the waters with the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S24 and S24+ (in Europe, India and other regions) while keeping the S24 Ultra exclusively Snapdragon androidauthority.com androidauthority.com. For the Galaxy S25 (2025), Samsung initially planned to use the Exynos 2500 (their first 3nm chip) in some models, but due to 3nm yield issues the S25 series ended up Snapdragon-only worldwide – all models use the Snapdragon 8 Elite, despite earlier hopes for Exynos sammobile.com sammyguru.com. This decision reportedly cost Samsung hundreds of millions in extra Qualcomm fees techadvisor.com, but it avoided potential supply or performance hiccups. Now eyes are on the Galaxy S26 (expected launch ~Jan 2026). According to Bloomberg and other insiders, Samsung is evaluating the Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 and plans to use both Exynos and Snapdragon in that generation sammobile.com. The current expectation is that only the base Galaxy S26 will get Exynos 2600 in most markets, while higher-end models (like a rumored S26 Edge or the S26 Ultra) will continue with next-gen Snapdragon (likely the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2) sammobile.com sammobile.com. In fact, Samsung has a recent pattern of giving the Ultra model exclusively to Qualcomm silicon sammobile.com – the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra both ran Snapdragon globally to ensure top-tier performance. That may persist until Exynos proves itself fully equal. There’s also chatter that Samsung might drop the “Plus” model and introduce an S26 Edge; if so, that Edge (being a premium model) would also favor Snapdragon per rumors sammobile.com. So if all that holds, Exynos 2600 would power the standard Galaxy S26 (and possibly S26 FE if one exists later), while S26 Ultra/Edge get Qualcomm’s chip. This approach mirrors what we saw in 2024: Exynos for lower S models, Snapdragon for the Ultra. Samsung is essentially hedging – showcasing its in-house chip in at least one marquee device, but not risking the flagship Ultra’s reputation quite yet. Outside the Galaxy S series, Exynos 2600 could potentially appear in other devices. For example, Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab S flagship tablet or a future Galaxy Fold might use an Exynos if performance is competitive, but Samsung tends to use Snapdragon in foldables for efficiency. It’s more likely Samsung will stick to the plan of S26 phone deployment first, gather real-world feedback, then perhaps expand Exynos use. One side effect: if Exynos 2600 is region-limited to e.g. Europe/Asia S26 units, we could see a return of variant debates (Samsung fans comparing Exynos vs Snapdragon models). However, if Samsung’s confidence is high and yields are sufficient, they might even consider a wider release. A wild card: Could Google’s Pixel adopt Exynos 2600 derivatives? The Pixel 9 (2024) is expected to use Tensor G4, possibly based on Exynos 2400, and a Pixel 10 (2025) could theoretically leverage Exynos 2500 or 2600 tech. There’s no confirmation, but Google and Samsung’s partnership on silicon means the Exynos 2600’s DNA might find its way into other brands’ devices indirectly. Ultimately, Samsung’s goal is to rebuild Exynos’s reputation by putting 2600 in a high-profile phone that delights users, not frustrates them. If the Galaxy S26 with Exynos performs as well as the Snapdragon variant (with no notable battery or camera drawbacks), it will validate Samsung’s dual-sourcing strategy and set the stage for more Exynos in future models.
Strategic Context – Samsung’s Chip Comeback and Custom Silicon Plans: The Exynos 2600 is more than just a processor; it represents Samsung’s renewed ambition in mobile silicon. A few years ago, Exynos was on the ropes – the Exynos 990 (in the S20) suffered efficiency issues against the Snapdragon 865, and by 2023 Samsung had to use Qualcomm chips exclusively in the S23 to stay competitive. Internally, there was reported tension between Samsung’s Mobile division (MX) and its semiconductor division (DS) over Exynos’s shortcomings sammobile.com sammobile.com. Many wondered if Samsung might abandon its in-house chips for flagships entirely. Instead, Samsung doubled down on development, forming a so-called “Dream Team” of 1,000 engineers in 2022 to design a breakthrough Galaxy chip by 2025 hothardware.com. While Samsung officially denied restarting custom CPU core development when rumors arose in 2023 sammobile.com, it’s clear they’ve been investing heavily in Exynos improvements – from the AMD GPU alliance to advanced 3D packaging (FOWLP) to now leading-edge 2nm production. The Exynos 2600 is a key result of these efforts, and by all indications it’s a “return to form” for Samsung’s chips notebookcheck.net, finally capable of going head-to-head with Qualcomm’s and Apple’s best. As Notebookcheck put it, the 2600’s performance is a “superb 45% jump” over the disappointing Exynos 2500, thrilling Exynos fans and potentially marking Samsung’s comeback in the chipset race notebookcheck.net. However, longer-term challenges loom. One significant concern is ARM’s licensing costs – ARM Ltd. has reportedly planned to raise core licensing fees by up to 300% for partners like Samsung sammobile.com. Since Samsung currently relies on off-the-shelf ARM Cortex designs for CPU (unlike Apple or now Qualcomm with Oryon), it is directly exposed to those cost hikes. A SamMobile analysis warned this price “time bomb” could “bury Samsung’s Exynos for good” if it materializes sammobile.com sammobile.com. In contrast, Qualcomm’s shift to custom cores means it licenses only ARM’s ISA (instruction set), not the core designs, insulating it from big fee increases sammobile.com. This raises the pressure on Samsung to differentiate its silicon. The company did experiment with custom CPU cores (the “Mongoose” cores through Exynos 990 with M5 core) but ultimately shut down its custom CPU team by 2020 due to subpar results sammobile.com sammobile.com. Given the immense investment and uncertain payoff, Samsung appears unlikely to revive full custom CPU design in the near future sammobile.com. Instead, it might focus on other custom IP: GPUs and AI accelerators. On the GPU front, Samsung’s partnership with AMD delivered novel features but not an outright win over Adreno – at least not until perhaps now. Rumors suggest Samsung may end its AMD partnership after 2025 and develop a fully in-house GPU architecture for mobile hothardware.com hothardware.com. In fact, tipster Roland Quandt indicated that Exynos 2400 (2024) and Exynos 2500 (2025) would use AMD RDNA GPUs (Xclipse 940 and 950), but from 2026 onward the plan is a Samsung-developed GPU hothardware.com hothardware.com. If true, the Exynos 2600 might be the first to feature this new GPU – though it’s unclear if Samsung accelerated those plans or will stick with one more RDNA generation. (Samsung and AMD did renew their licensing deal in mid-2023, but the terms and duration weren’t disclosed hothardware.com.) Moving to a custom GPU could give Samsung more control over driver optimizations and reduce reliance on AMD’s roadmap. It’s a bold move that essentially makes Exynos a fully Samsung-controlled design (CPU cores being the notable exception). The risk is repeating the custom CPU saga – designing a competitive GPU from scratch is hard, but Samsung did hire former Nvidia and ATI veterans (and reportedly a former Huawei Kirin GPU engineer) to bolster its team androidheadlines.com. A successful in-house GPU could also avoid any AMD royalty fees and sidestep the need to share advancements with a partner. As for AI and NPU, Samsung will likely continue enhancing its custom AI blocks (like the NPUs and DSPs) since those are already Samsung designs. The inclusion of ARM’s SME in Exynos 2600 shows Samsung is leveraging ARM’s latest architecture for AI, but it can build additional AI accelerators around that. This aligns with industry trends: Apple’s Neural Engine, Qualcomm’s Hexagon, and Google’s TPUs are all custom designs that significantly add value beyond basic CPU/GPU capabilities. Strategically, Samsung’s pursuit of custom chips is also about vertical integration and cost. Using in-house Exynos in Galaxy devices saves Samsung from buying as many Qualcomm chips (it’s estimated Samsung paid Qualcomm ~$400 million extra for the S25’s all-Snapdragon strategy) techadvisor.com. It also allows tighter feature integration – for instance, Samsung can coordinate One UI software features with Exynos hardware capabilities (like advanced AI camera effects or security enclaves specific to Galaxy). Additionally, having its own competitive SoC boosts Samsung Foundry’s credibility. Recent years saw Samsung lose chip fabrication orders to TSMC due to yield issues; by pushing a cutting-edge 2nm chip successfully, Samsung can attract new clients or at least use itself as a showcase. There’s also the supply chain depth argument: Samsung benefits from having dual sourcing for key components. Even during the Exynos slump, Samsung kept designing them partly to negotiate better terms with Qualcomm and to ensure it wasn’t entirely dependent on external suppliers sammobile.com. For example, Samsung even sourced MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+ for some Galaxy Tab S10 models just to diversify and keep Qualcomm prices honest sammobile.com. Exynos is a strategic lever in that sense – but it only works if Exynos is good enough that Samsung’s mobile division is willing to use it. The MX division has shown it will push back (choosing Micron RAM over Samsung’s own when quality differed sammobile.com, or going all-in on Snapdragon when Exynos faltered). So the Exynos 2600 must prove that Samsung’s DS division can meet MX’s high expectations. If not, we could see scenarios like 2026 going Snapdragon-only again despite 2600’s development sammobile.com – a possibility hinted at if the chip doesn’t pan out. All eyes will thus be on the Galaxy S26 launch. If the Exynos 2600 delivers as promised, it will mark Samsung’s full-fledged return to the SoC big leagues – potentially reducing or even eliminating the regional performance gap that Galaxy buyers have complained about in the past. We might even envision a Galaxy S27 where Exynos (perhaps an Exynos 2700 on a refined 2nm or 1.7nm process) powers every model globally, truly rivaling Qualcomm and Apple across the board. On the other hand, if Exynos 2600 falls short in power efficiency or has any major issues, Samsung’s mobile team could pull back. But given the encouraging data so far and Samsung’s clear investments, industry experts are cautiously optimistic. As one tech editor quipped, Samsung finally seems to have an Exynos that can “give a tough fight to its rivals”, delivering the “raw power” needed to compete sammobile.com sammobile.com – something we haven’t been able to say in a long time. In summary, Samsung’s Exynos 2600 is shaping up to be a game-changer: a 2nm, 10-core, AMD-enhanced (for now) chipset that brings Samsung back into the conversation of the world’s best mobile SoCs. It matches or exceeds the latest Snapdragon in many benchmarks and incorporates the latest tech in CPU, GPU, AI, and connectivity. There are strong indications of improved efficiency and sustained performance, addressing the Achilles’ heel of past Exynos generations. Samsung is leveraging this chip not just to power phones, but to power a broader strategy – reducing reliance on external IP, showcasing Samsung Foundry’s tech, and potentially even offering its SoC expertise to other applications (automotive chips, IoT, etc., as Exynos designs sometimes do). The next year will be crucial to watch: if Galaxy S26 users in Exynos markets report satisfaction on par with those using Snapdragon (or even bragging rights in graphics or battery life), it will vindicate Samsung’s decision to stick with its “custom chip” dream. As a bonus, renewed competition from Exynos is great news for consumers – Qualcomm, Apple, and MediaTek will all have to keep innovating at breakneck speed. After a period of uncertainty, it appears Exynos is back, and the race for mobile silicon supremacy in 2025–2026 is hotter than ever. 📱💥