Samsung Foundry is pushing hard to ramp up yields for its 2nm process node in order to finalize the specs for the upcoming Galaxy S26’s application processor (AP). Initially, their trials showed yields in the 30% range, which is far from optimal.
However, Samsung’s latest AP, the Exynos 2600, is reportedly going through its prototype mass production phase using this very 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) process node.
Yield refers to the percentage of usable chips that pass quality control out of the total produced. Low yields can significantly raise costs, as only a few of the chips made from a silicon wafer are functional. Think of it like baking cookies: If a baker bakes 100 cookies and only 30 turn out perfect, the cost of making those cookies is divided among the 30 edible ones. If 75 cookies come out perfect, the cost per cookie decreases. Similarly, higher yields mean reduced manufacturing costs for Samsung.
At the beginning of 2025, Samsung Foundry’s yield for its 2nm trial chips was only 30%, but since May, the company has set an ambitious goal of achieving a 50% yield. For the Exynos 2600 to be mass-produced at this scale, yields must reach 70%. This would make the Exynos 2600 one of the first chips to be made at the 2nm node and among the first to utilize the GAA transistors, which improve performance and energy efficiency by reducing current leakage.
Once the prototype production phase is completed, Samsung Foundry will move on to risk production while it continues to work on refining its yields. Official mass production of the Exynos 2600 is expected to begin around December or January, just before the anticipated February release of the Galaxy S26 series.
The Exynos 2600 will likely feature 10 CPU cores and power the Galaxy S26 and S26+ in most regions outside the U.S., Canada, and China. In these markets, the Galaxy S26 models will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, produced by TSMC at a 3nm node. The S26 Ultra, however, will have the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 across all regions.
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