Samsung Foundry’s poor yields have been in all probability the biggest motive why
Samsung determined to not use the home-grown Exynos 2500 utility processor (AP) on the
Galaxy S25 flagship sequence. Usually, Samsung would have had the
Galaxy S25 and
Galaxy S25+ powered by the Exynos 2500 AP in all markets apart from the US, China, and Canada (which is NOT a US state or territory). In these markets, the
Galaxy S25 and
Galaxy S25+ are outfitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. The highest-of-the-line
Galaxy S25 Extremely sports activities the identical Snapdragon AP in all areas.
Dropping the Exynos 2500 for the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy value Samsung a whopping $400 million because the producer needed to shell out large bucks to Qualcomm for the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoCs to switch Sammy’s personal Exynos 2500 chips. $400 million is nothing to sneeze at. Samsung absolutely does not wish to have to write down one other large verify to Qualcomm for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy AP. In consequence, Samsung Foundry is tough at work attempting to get its yield for the Exynos 2600 as much as the 70% stage that the majority foundries wish to see earlier than they mass-produce a chip.
Tipster writes a tweet about Samsung’s attainable use of the Exynos 2600 AP on restricted Galaxy S26 sequence models. | Picture credit-X
The Exynos 2600 AP goes to be produced on Samsung Foundry’s 2nm course of node. Trial manufacturing at that node generated solely a 30% yield price for Samsung Foundry so even when Sammy determined {that a} 60% yield could be okay, there may be nonetheless some work that must be executed. The danger for Samsung is that the yields of the Exynos 2600 stay low sufficient that Samsung cannot construct sufficient chips to cowl its wants.
Tipster
@Jukanlosreve opened the “X” app to publish a tweet that makes loads of sense. In it, he writes that with Samsung’s 2nm node nonetheless delivering worrisome yields, use of the Exynos 2600 for Galaxy AP will probably be restricted to European variations of the
Galaxy S26 and
Galaxy S26+. He provides that an unnamed trade supply knowledgeable him that at 3nm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 delivers a efficiency benefit over the 2nm Exynos 2600 SoC. That might be nice for US consumers of the
Galaxy S26 and
Galaxy S26+.
All Samsung needs to keep away from right here is paying Qualcomm to equip each Galaxy S26 unit with its newest flagship AP which was the case with the Galaxy S25 line. Samsung reportedly has till the third quarter of this yr to complete the Exynos 2600 design for the AP to even stand an opportunity of powering some Galaxy S26 models subsequent yr.
