Samsung's 2nm Process Takes the Lead: Exynos 2600 Chip to Debut on Galaxy S26 Series, Followed by Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek

Samsung's 2nm Process Takes the Lead: Exynos 2600 Chip to Debut on Galaxy S26 Series, Followed by Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTekThe fiercely competitive mobile phone market places significant emphasis on chip manufacturing process technology as a key indicator of flagship performance. Currently, flagship phones generally utilize 3nm process chips, while the next generation is poised to transition to the even more advanced 2nm process

Samsung's 2nm Process Takes the Lead: Exynos 2600 Chip to Debut on Galaxy S26 Series, Followed by Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek

The fiercely competitive mobile phone market places significant emphasis on chip manufacturing process technology as a key indicator of flagship performance. Currently, flagship phones generally utilize 3nm process chips, while the next generation is poised to transition to the even more advanced 2nm process. Samsung has demonstrated a significant lead in the development and mass production of 2nm technology, with its new Exynos 2600 chip expected to be the first commercially available chip utilizing this process.

The Samsung Exynos 2600 chip will employ Samsung's self-developed SF2 process node, marking their first-generation 2nm technology. Official data indicates that, at the same architecture and frequency, the SF2 process achieves a 25% reduction in power consumption, a 12% performance increase, and a 5% reduction in chip area compared to its predecessor. These figures highlight Samsung's significant breakthrough in 2nm technology, providing a solid foundation for enhanced mobile phone performance.

Samsung plans to begin mass production of the SF2 process in May of this year. If all goes according to plan, the Galaxy S26 series, expected to launch in early 2026, will be the world's first commercially available smartphone featuring a 2nm process chip. This will mark a new high point in Samsung's technological prowess in the mobile chip sector, further strengthening its competitiveness in the high-end smartphone market.

In contrast to Samsung's leading position, other chip giants such as Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek are relatively behind in their 2nm process progress. These companies primarily rely on TSMC for chip manufacturing, and TSMC's 2nm mass production schedule lags behind.

Reliable sources indicate that TSMC anticipates commencing mass production of its 2nm process in the second half of this year. During the initial trial production phase, TSMC has achieved an approximately 60% yield rate, demonstrating a certain level of maturity in its 2nm technology. However, TSMC's production capacity is limited and cannot immediately meet the demands of all its partners. Therefore, an inevitable supply-demand imbalance is expected in the initial supply of 2nm process chips.

Considering the capacity constraints and its long-standing partnership with TSMC, Apple is expected to be the launch customer for TSMC's 2nm process. However, new Apple devices featuring TSMC's 2nm technology are not anticipated until September 2026. This means that in the first half of 2026, Apple's flagship models will still utilize chips based on other process technologies.

For Qualcomm and MediaTek, securing 2nm chips from TSMC will come after Apple. This means these two companies will lag behind Samsung and Apple in the application of 2nm process chips.

It's noteworthy that TSMC's 2nm process involves a significant technological architecture change. It will transition from the traditional FinFET architecture to the more advanced GAAFET architecture. This shift is expected to deliver significant performance improvements and power consumption reductions. It is predicted that the GAAFET architecture can boost performance by 15% while reducing power consumption by 30%, elevating chip performance to a new level. However, the complexity of the GAAFET architecture also results in higher R&D costs and production difficulties, directly impacting the initial production capacity of TSMC's 2nm process.

In summary, the competitive landscape for 2nm process technology is taking shape. Samsung, with its self-developed SF2 process, has gained a lead in mass production, and the Exynos 2600 chip is poised to be the first commercially available in the Galaxy S26 series. Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek rely on TSMC's 2nm process, but due to capacity limitations, their product launch times will be relatively delayed. While TSMC's 2nm process offers significant advantages in performance and power consumption, initial production capacity constraints will be a significant limiting factor. Future competition in the 2nm market will intensify, with each manufacturer's technological capabilities and market strategies determining its ultimate market position. The application of 2nm technology will undoubtedly drive further improvements in mobile device performance, offering users a smoother and more efficient experience. However, the high manufacturing costs mean that smartphones equipped with 2nm chips may be relatively expensive, which will have an impact on the consumer market. Therefore, balancing technological advancements with market demands will be a major challenge for manufacturers. Future competition in the smartphone market will involve not only the competition in chip manufacturing processes, but also software optimization, user experience and other aspects, which will bring more choices to consumers and more possibilities for industry development. Ultimately, consumers will benefit from the technological advancements that lead to more powerful mobile devices and richer application experiences, which will further drive the vigorous development of the mobile internet industry.