Samsung aims to rival Apple’s A19 Pro with 2nm Exynos 2600

Samsung has begun the development of its first 2nm chipset, the Korean media revealed. Codenamed Thetis, a figure from Greek mythology, the chip will power the Galaxy S26 series in 2026. The company aims to rival Apple’s 2nm A19 Pro for the iPhone 17 series.

Samsung will closely follow Apple with a 2nm chip for the Galaxy S26

Last year, Apple launched the world’s first 3nm chip, the A17 Pro for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It remains the only 3nm smartphone processor to date. Samsung’s Exynos 2400 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which powered most Android flagships this year including the Galaxy S24 series, are 4nm chips.

Rumors are rife that Apple will move to the 2nm semiconductor tech next year. Like the A17 Pro, TSMC will produce its first 2nm chip, likely called the A19 Pro. It will power the iPhone 17 series, at least the two pro models. Samsung, meanwhile, is preparing to launch its first 3nm chip later this year. It is a wearable processor for the Galaxy Watch 7 series.

Samsung’s first 3nm smartphone chip will debut with the Galaxy S25 series in early 2025. By then, Apple would have launched its second 3nm processor. The Korean firm wants to close this technological gap with its arch-rival. It will do that by beginning 2nm mass production in 2025. With development already underway, the company is probably on track to achieve its goal.

According to an ETnews report, the “Tethis” chip will enter production in the second half of 2025. Samsung will launch it under the Exynos brand, so it will probably be called the Exynos 2600 (the Galaxy S25’s 3nm chip is called the Exynos 2500). The chip will power the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung’s answer to Apple’s iPhone 17 series, initiating a 2nm battle.

The Exynos 2600 may feature an in-house GPU

The new report doesn’t reveal anything else about the Exynos 2600. However, earlier rumors have given us a few talking points. Most notably, the chip is said to ditch the AMD-powered Xclipse GPU with Samsung opting for an in-house solution. If true, this is a bold move from the Korean tech behemoth.

It hasn’t been long since Samsung started working with AMD on the Xclipse GPUs. These solutions have been doing well, helping the company revive its Exynos chips that seemed to be headed nowhere a few weeks back. Time will tell whether ditching those will be a good idea. Next year’s Exynos 2500 is likely to feature an AMD-powered GPU.