Galaxy S27 series processor goes into mass production with a caveat

Usually, there's a three-to-four-month gap between a mass-produced chip wafer and a finished product inside a device, so the timing aligns pretty well with the expected Galaxy S27 launch early next year.

10% more chips than the previous generation

The Elec reports that Samsung plans to produce 10% more Exynos 2700 units than it did with the Exynos 2600. The increase in volume can be tied to the new Galaxy S27 Pro model, which is expected to launch alongside the vanilla S27 and the Plus.

The new model will serve as a smaller version of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, featuring a similar front and back design but a smaller screen. The Exynos 2700 uses Samsung’s SF2P, a second generation 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) node. Compared to the Exynos 2600, SF2P offers a 12% performance improvement, a 25% reduction in power usage and an 8% decrease in chip area.

But the situation is uncertain when it comes to which market will get which chip.

Another dual-chip split launch

Initially, there were rumors that Samsung would equip all of its upcoming flagship models, except for the S27 Ultra, with the Exynos 2700. Now, more and more sources are pointing toward the same dual-chip split launch strategy we saw with the S26 series.

The Galaxy S27, S27 Plus, and S27 Pro sold in Europe and South Korea will use the Exynos 2700, while units meant for the US and Chinese markets will get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. This leaves the Ultra as the only model powered by a single processor across all markets.

The Galaxy S27 Ultra will most likely use a Snapdragon chip globally

There's still a big question mark hanging over the Galaxy S27 Ultra when it comes to the silicon inside. The most likely scenario is the Ultra using a Snapdragon exclusively across all markets, but there's also another possibility.

Reportedly, Samsung is still divided on the matter, mainly due to the higher price tag of Qualcomm's latest chips. The top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is believed to cost north of $300.

This would skyrocket the price of the Galaxy S27 Ultra, with some industry analysts citing figures beyond $1,599.

The new Exynos 2700 beats the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

According to the latest rumor, an internal Geekbench 6 test reportedly showed the Exynos 2700 beating the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 by 9.5% in multi-core performance. Simple math puts the Exynos 2700's score above the 14,000-point mark, which is quite impressive.

However, the single-core performance of the Exynos 2700 is still expected to fall short of what Qualcomm has in store. Exynos processors don't enjoy much love from fans of the brand, as there were throttling issues and lower performance scores in past generation, compared to the Qualcomm alternatives. Now, Samsung might've produced a chip capable of taking on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.

Which processor would you prefer in your Galaxy S27 device — the Exynos 2700 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6?

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