Samsung to Begin Mass Production of Exynos 2700 in H2 2026; Could Power 50% of Galaxy S27 Units
Samsung is reportedly accelerating its semiconductor strategy, with plans to begin mass production of its next-generation Exynos 2700 processor in the second half of 2026. The move signals a major push by the South Korean tech giant to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm and regain a foothold in the flagship mobile chipset market.
Reclaiming the Galaxy Market Share
According to a report from The Korea Economic Daily citing Kiwoom Securities, the Exynos 2700 is expected to power approximately 50% of the Galaxy S27 series smartphones. This would represent a significant increase in adoption compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 2600, which is estimated to power only about 25% of the upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup.
Currently, Samsung relies heavily on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips for its high-end devices, particularly the Ultra models. However, analysts believe that if the Exynos 2700 meets performance and yield targets, it could even find its way into the Galaxy S27 Ultra in certain regions.
Advanced 2nm Manufacturing
The Exynos 2700 is set to be manufactured using Samsung Foundry’s second-generation 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, known as SF2P.
Performance & Efficiency: This cutting-edge node is projected to offer a 12% performance boost and a 25% reduction in power consumption compared to the 2nm SF2 process used for the Exynos 2600.
Production Yields: Initial yields for the SF2P process are reportedly around 50%. Samsung is already encouraging its partners to promote this process, indicating confidence in its readiness for high-volume production.
Leaked Specifications
Though the chip is still in its engineering phase (codenamed "Ulysses"), early benchmark leaks and industry reports suggest a powerhouse configuration:
10-Core CPU: A unique 4+1+4+1 cluster layout designed for optimized multitasking.
Next-Gen GPU: A new AMD-based Xclipse 970 GPU, which early tests suggest could provide a nearly 40% jump in graphics performance.
Thermal Solutions: To address past overheating issues, Samsung is expected to use FOWLP-SbS packaging (Side-by-Side), which places the die and RAM horizontally to improve heat dissipation.
Next-Gen Support: The chip is rumored to support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage, potentially doubling data transfer speeds.
Financial Outlook
The ramp-up of the Exynos 2700 is part of a broader goal to make Samsung’s non-memory division profitable by 2027. Kiwoom Securities forecasts that the division’s revenue will grow 21% year-over-year to 36.4 trillion won ($24.8 billion) in 2026, as Samsung targets a 130% growth in 2nm chip orders.
While the Galaxy S26 series is still on the horizon for late 2025/early 2026, the Exynos 2700 appears to be the real "game-changer" Samsung is betting on to finally break the "Exynos curse" and challenge the dominance of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series.