Samsung is anticipated to launch its next-gen flagship Galaxy S26 collection early subsequent 12 months, and up to date leaks recommend that the telephones might be powered by the corporate’s in-house Exynos 2600 chipset. Now, forward of the Galaxy Unpacked occasion, the South Korean large has formally unveiled the SoC and shared its key specs.

The Exynos 2600 will go up in opposition to Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and, as such, brings a number of noteworthy upgrades. It’s the primary smartphone SoC constructed on a 2nm course of, a step up from the 3nm node used for Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon chip.

New CPU, GPU, and NPU promise a significant efficiency leap

Samsung has outfitted the chip with a brand new 10-core CPU that makes use of Arm’s new v9.3 structure based mostly C1 Extremely and C1 Professional cores. It features a single C1 Extremely prime core clocked at 3.8GHz, three high-performance C1 Professional cores operating at 3.25GHz, and 6 further C1 Professional cores clocked at 2.75GHz. Samsung says this up to date CPU ends in a 39% efficiency increase over the Exynos 2500.

The SoC packs a brand new built-in NPU, which reportedly improves generative AI efficiency by 113% in comparison with final time, enabling assist for bigger and extra complicated on-device fashions. On-device privateness has acquired a major improve by “virtualization safety and hardware-backed hybrid Put up-Quantum Cryptography (PQC),” one other first for a cellular SoC.

The Exynos 2600 additionally contains a new Xclipse 960 GPU that guarantees double the computing efficiency of the outgoing Xclipse 950 and 50% higher ray-tracing efficiency. Moreover, it contains Samsung’s Exynos Neural Tremendous Sampling (ENSS) tech for AI-based decision upscaling and body era, resulting in three-times smoother gaming efficiency.

New ISP unlocks higher-resolution cameras and smoother video

To spice up digital camera efficiency on next-gen {hardware}, the Exynos 2600 packs a brand new ISP that helps as much as 320MP cameras and may seize 108MP photographs with no shutter lag. It additionally helps video recording at 8K 30fps or 4K 120fps with HDR.

The ISP options an AI-based Visible Notion System that may detect detailed parts like blinking and course of them in actual time, whereas decreasing energy consumption by 50%. Video efficiency can also be anticipated to enhance dramatically, because of the ISP’s Deep Studying Video Noise Discount (DVNR) system, which reduces noise in movies captured in low-light.

New thermal design targest sustained efficiency

To handle considerations of poor thermal administration, which has been a significant bottleneck on earlier Exynos chipsets, Samsung has applied a brand new Warmth Path Block (HPB) methodology that improved dissipation by “the applying of Excessive-k EMC.”

That is one other first for the cellular SoC house, and is anticipated to end in greater sustained efficiency by decreasing thermal resistance as much as 16%, “permitting inner warmth to maneuver outward extra shortly” and preserve the SoC’s temperature steady.

Different noteworthy specs embrace UFS 4.1 storage and LPDDR5X DRAM assist, as much as 4K 120Hz show output assist, HDR10+ video playback, and HDR gaming. The Exynos 2600 lacks a built-in wi-fi chip and can seemingly use a separate connectivity and modem chip to allow 5G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

It stays to be seen how these enhancements translate to real-word efficiency when the Exynos 2600 hits the market with the Galaxy S26 collection subsequent 12 months.