Samsung’s exynos revival: will it power every galaxy?
For years, Samsung Galaxy users have navigated a curious reality: a split allegiance when it came to the processors powering their devices. While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips have consistently held sway in North America and East Asia, Exynos chips, designed in-house by Samsung, have often powered devices in Europe, South Korea, and India. But that could be changing, and the implications are significant.
A shift towards in-house dominance
Samsung’s long-standing dual-sourcing strategy, where it relied on both Qualcomm and its own Exynos chips, might be nearing its end. The company has been diligently working to improve its Exynos offerings, even incorporating innovations like the “Heat Path Block” in the Exynos 2600 to tackle a persistent overheating issue that plagued earlier iterations. This year marks a turning point, with the Galaxy S26 and S26+ sporting the 2nm Exynos 2600 processor in key markets – a first for smartphones globally.
But the story isn't simple. While the S26 Ultra across all regions utilizes the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a recent announcement from Samsung’s Vice President of Hardware, Moon Sung-hoon, signals a more ambitious vision: a future where every Galaxy device is driven by an Exynos AP. This isn’t just about pride; it’s about control and, potentially, substantial cost savings.
The path towards this goal is complex. Moon emphasized a “mid to long term approach,” acknowledging the need to anticipate future specifications and chip capabilities. A critical element of this plan involves a closer collaboration between Samsung’s MX (Mobile eXperience) division, responsible for smartphones and tablets, and its LSI division, which designs the crucial logic and analog semiconductors that make a phone “think, connect, and see.”
Yield woes and financial strain
The road to Exynos’s resurgence hasn't been without bumps. Last year, low yields from Samsung Foundry – reportedly as low as 20% for its 3nm GAA AP chips – forced Samsung to rely solely on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the Galaxy S25 series. The consequence? An estimated $400 million bill for Qualcomm licensing. However, the tide appears to be turning. Yields have significantly improved this year, and early benchmark tests suggest the Exynos 2600 can genuinely compete with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Optimism is palpable heading into next year, with expectations that the Exynos 2700 could power as much as 50% of the Galaxy S27 lineup, effectively doubling the Exynos 2600’s projected 25% share. This ambition is fueled by reports of a dedicated “Custom SoC Development Team” within Samsung, mirroring Apple's strategy of designing custom chips, like its C-series modems, to optimize performance and battery life.
Beyond saving money, cultivating in-house silicon allows Samsung to embed proprietary features directly into its chips. This level of integration could prove a significant differentiator in a fiercely competitive market.
The shift towards Exynos dominance isn't merely a technical upgrade; it's a strategic realignment that could reshape Samsung's place in the mobile Technology landscape. The results of this ambitious undertaking will undoubtedly be closely watched by competitors and consumers alike.