Samsung starts development on impressive new chip for Galaxy phones, says report
What you need to know
Samsung reportedly began working on a more powerful and efficient SoC, likely to be called Exynos 2600.
The chipset is under development with the codename “Thetis,” based on a figure from Greek mythology.
It will power the Galaxy S26 series, and Samsung plans to take the lead by launching the 2nm chip as soon as possible.
Last year, Samsung shared plans to mass-produce its 2nm and 1.4nm process-based chipsets at its Foundry Forum event. Now, if a South Korean-based publication is to be believed, the company may have already started work on its next major chip as it aims to keep up with the competition.
According to ETNews, Samsung Electronics has already started the development of a 2nm chipset as competition with Apple and TSMC heats up. At the Foundry Farm last year, Samsung said it would mass-produce the 2nm process for mobile applications in 2025. The process is claimed to showcase a 12% increase in performance, a 25% increase in power efficiency, and a 5% decrease in total area.
Per the latest report, Samsung began the 2nm AP (application processor) project codenamed “Thetis,” which is believed to be the Exynos 2600 — the flagship chipset likely to debut with the Galaxy S26 series in 2026.
Assuming all goes well with testing, Samsung will reportedly be one of the first to bring the commercialized 2nm-based chip, following a likely 3nm chip arriving with the Galaxy S25 next year. It also means Samsung will compete against the Apple iPhone 17 series, which will likely be released next year with a 2nm-based chip.
This could also give Samsung a leg up in the race against TSMC as Qualcomm looks for a foundry that can produce a future Snapdragon chip. The report notes that Samsung intends to take the lead on 2nm chip production by launching its flagship chip as early as possible.
Samsung also opts for Snapdragon chips on its flagship devices in some regions like the U.S. and Canada. However, the Exynos 2600 will probably be available in other regions globally as Samsung hopes to boost its in-house chips.
