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Major leak of Galaxy S26 processor reveals CPU configuration, GPU, clock speeds, and more

The Exynos 2600 application processor will be the first 2nm chipset to power a smartphone.

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Dec 18, 2025, 10:33 PM

Placeholder of the Samsung Exynos 2600 AP.

The Samsung's Exynos 2600 application processor (AP) is the most powerful Exynos AP ever built. Not only did it perform well on a Geekbench benchmark test coming close to the scores put up by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 AP, it also will be the first AP to power a smartphone that was built using a 2nm process node. It will also be the first smartphone AP to use Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors.

Unlike the previously employed positioned transistors (which are still used by Qualcomm for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) that has the gate cover the channel on three of the four sides of the channel, GAA transistors use horizontal nanosheets that are vertically positioned to allow the gate to cover all four sides of the channel. This prevents current leaks and improves the drive current. The latter is the amount of electrical current that flows through a transistor when it is fully "switched on."

The advantage of using GAA transistors for an application processor is that they make these chips more powerful and energy efficient. The reason why the Exynos 2600 AP will use GAA transistors has to do with Samsung Foundry, which replaced FinFET with GAA starting with its 3nm production. As for TSMC, it has started switching to GAA with its 2nm chip manufacturing this year. Besides improvements in energy efficiency, Samsung expects a 39% CPU performance improvement.

Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s next-generation flagship SoC built on a 2nm GAA process and has already entered mass production. It is expected to power the Galaxy S26 and S26+, with a clear focus on energy efficiency, sustained performance, and on-device AI rather than peak benchmark… pic.twitter.com/KFozlBSWjO
— PhoneArt (@UniverseIce) December 19, 2025

The Exynos 2600 is a decacore chipset with a configuration of 1+3+6. This includes one performance core running at a clock speed of up to 3.80GHz (or 3.90GHz according to PhoneArt, formerly Ice Universe), a trio of performance cores running as fast as 3.25GHz, and six efficiency cores with a clock speed up to 2.75GHz. The GPU will be a new chip created by AMD and Samsung with the codename Juno, according to PhoneArt, running at 985MHz. This is the Xclipse 960, the first smartphone GPU made on the 2nm GAA process node.

The Galaxy S26 series should launch late January or mid-February next year. The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ could be powered by the Exynos 2600 AP in South Korea . Europe, Key Asian markets, and developing countries. In the U.S., China, and Japan, those models will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. In all markets, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be equipped with the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 AP.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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