An unofficial, native Android port of Grand Theft Auto 5 is reportedly in development, though it looks like only a small portion of phones will actually be able to run it at launch. The project comes from M0jso of Paralympics Productions, the same developer behind the unofficial GTA 5 port for the original Nintendo Switch that we recently covered. Unlike solutions that run the Windows version through compatibility layers like Winlator, this port is being built to run GTA 5 natively on Arm. It reportedly uses the same base as the Switch port, which itself was built on GTA 5 Legacy 1.0.2699 and the leaked 2023 source code.

Minimum requirements are said to be a Snapdragon 865, 8 GB of RAM, and 65 GB of storage, with support extending up through recent Snapdragon 7 and 8 series chips. The first public build is Snapdragon-only, so Exynos chips (including the 1480, 1580, 2200, 2400, and 2600), Pixel Tensor with PowerVR graphics, and MediaTek Helio chips are apparently left out for now, at least until Mali GPU support gets added later. There's no word on an actual release date yet, and it's still worth treating this as an early and unofficial project until we see it running. However, it is confirmation that GTA 5 will be coming to Android phones pretty soon, if the Nintendo Switch port timeline is anything to go by.

Today marks the day we see AMD's next-generation RDNA 5 GPU IP inside working silicon, but not in the form you might expect. Thanks to SemiAnalysis's die annotation of the Exynos 2700 SoC from Samsung, we see AMD's new GPU IP shine in a mobile form with the Xclipse 970 GPU. As earlier leaks reported, AMD and Samsung co-developed the Xclipse 970 GPU using AMD RDNA technology and adapted it for mobile. However, the GPU IP has now been upgraded to the latest RDNA 5, making this SoC technically the first RDNA 5-equipped chip that will be shipping. Built on Samsung Foundry's SF2 node, Samsung has designed this SoC with a unique 10-CPU core configuration and a strong GPU to compete with Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite SoCs.

On the CPU front, Samsung uses Arm's off-the-shelf CPU core IP, which includes C2-Ultra and C2-Pro. This setup features a single C2-Ultra big core running at 4.24 GHz, one C2-Ultra running at 3.36 GHz, four C2-Pro cores running at 3.74 GHz, and four C2-Pro cores running at 2.88 GHz, making a total of 10 CPU cores. On the GPU side, the Xclipse 970 packs eight GPU WGPs, each containing two Compute Units. This results in 16 CUs on the GPU front if everything remains the same with RDNA 5 and no changes to the WGP/CU ratio have been made by AMD since the last-generation RDNA 4.

Samsung is readying its Exynos 2600 application processor (AP) for a late February debut in next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone models. Recent promotional fanfare has focused on the South Korean semiconductor giant's 2 nm GAA process (SF2), but early 2026 leaks have suggested work continuing on two futuristic fronts—a more advanced manufacturing process (SF2P), and the mysterious Exynos 2700 mobile processor design. Earlier today, Park Yu-ak of Kiwoom Securities made a bold prediction about Samsung's next-gen AP design: "the Exynos 2700 will enter full-scale mass production in the second half of this year using Samsung Foundry's SF2P process and will record a market share of around 50% in the Galaxy S27."

Currently, smartphone industry experts believe that Exynos 2600 chipsets will only deploy in 25% of the soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S26 series. The remaining share will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "for Galaxy" SoC. Samsung leadership is very likely pursuing a more favorable spread of in-house technologies, as future Exynos designs become more competitive in a bustling market. Mixed rumors of 2 nm GAA node production yields have somewhat dampened expectations of the South Korean megacorp's foundry business, but the latest Kiwoom Securities forecast outlines a cool operating profit of 1.8 trillion won by 2027 for Samsung Electronic's non-memory division. Within the past month or two, industry insiders have whispered about potential SF2 and SF2P deals being signed in the same sentence as AMD, Qualcomm, and Tesla.

Samsung's recently announced Exynos 2600 features an updated Xclipse 960 GPU designed in partnership with AMD, and Samsung claims it will deliver up to twice the GPU performance of the outgoing Xclipse 950 found in the Exynos 2500. Now, benchmarks are finally starting to appear online, revealing surprisingly solid GPU performance. In the limited early testing, it has been found to even keep up with some Arm-powered Windows devices.

In the Geekbench 6 OpenCL test, the Xclipse 960 GPU scored 24,964 points, officially making it the fastest OpenCL result on the Geekbench Browser's Android benchmark list, beating out the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Honor Magic8 Pro by over 1,000 points (23,634). Even compared to full-fat Windows-on-Arm laptops, the Xclipse 960 performs quite well, outpacing the Snapdragon X Elite's Adreno X1-85 GPU in the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x 14 by a decent margin—it scored 20,771 in the same OpenCL test. For a more direct comparison, the Xclipse 950 that preceded the 960 managed 18,509 points in the same OpenCL benchmark.

Just before Christmas, Samsung fully unveiled its brand-new Exynos 2600 application processor (AP). The firm's Semiconductor division started teasing this next-gen smartphone chip around late 2025, with pre-launch details being shared via teaser trailers and sparsely populated splash pages. During the winter holiday period, the South Korean giant's foundry business detailed its pioneering "Heat Path Block" (HPB) technology. This intriguing aspect of the Exynos 2600 SoC's design was leaked mid-way through December; when industry moles started whispering about HPB tech being shopped to Apple and Qualcomm. Samsung's FoWLP_HPB (Fan-out Wafer Level Package with Heat Path Block) technology could address the problems faced by rival chip designers—in particular, it is believed that Qualcomm's next-wave Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile SoCs would require more potent heat dissipation solutions.

According to fresh inside track information—courtesy of the "Fixed-focus Digital Cameras" Weibo blog—HPB tech is now adopted by "many chip manufacturers that commonly use Android chips." The leaker believes that stronger heat dissipation will lead to greater overclocking capabilities on (non-Samsung) next-gen mobile chips. According to official descriptions, the development of FoWLP_HPB has improved the thermal resistance: "of the (Exynos 2600) AP die by reducing the size of the DRAM that obstructs the heat dissipation path and attaching Heat Path Block to facilitate heat release. Additionally, High-k EMC is applied to ensure that heat is efficiently transferred toward the HPB direction...With these packaging innovations, Samsung's mobile packaging technology enables efficient outward heat dissipation, resulting in up to a 16% reduction in thermal resistance compared to previous packages and delivering enhanced performance." Current-gen flagship smartphone chips can operate at impressive frequencies, but thermal considerations have set certain limits. The now "old school" placement of a wider DRAM layer—that restricts heat being drawn away from the CPU die—could be considered a major obstacle, going forward.

Samsung Electronics America today introduced two new additions to its mobile portfolio: Galaxy A17 5G and Galaxy Tab A11+, expanding Galaxy experiences for every kind of user while offering fun and helpful new experiences at an incredible value. As the starting point for the Galaxy smartphone experience, Galaxy A17 5G introduces several updates for the Galaxy A series including improved cameras, enhanced durability, and innovative AI experiences.

Galaxy Tab A11+ is a do-it-all device offering excellent performance for everyday use. Designed to fit a wide range of needs, it's a great option for a shared device with features to keep everyone in the house connected.

Only yesterday, specs of the new Samsung Exynos 2600 SoC leaked and now the company has unveiled the chip on its website. However, it has done so without any of the usual PR that goes with a new major product release like this. The leaked details were mostly correct and the Exynos 2600 will indeed feature a 3.8 GHz C1-Ultra prime core, three C1-Prox3 3.25 GHz performance cores and six power efficient C1-Prox6 2.75 GHz cores, all based on the Arm's latest v9.3 architecture. The Exynos 2600 will be fabricated using Samsung Foundry's 2 nm GAA process and its low power design and the package will use something Samsung calls heat path block which is using a High-k EMC material which is said to improve heat dissipation.The Exynos 2600 should deliver 39 percent better CPU performance compared to its predecessor according to Samsung.

The GPU will be Samsung's Xclipse 960—which yesterday's leaks also got correct—with support for ray tracing and Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS) or AI-powered frame generation and upscaling. Samsung claims twice the compute performance of its predecessor here. There will also be a separate AI engine with a 32K MAC NPU and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Other features include support for LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.1 storage, support for up to 4K or WQUXGA displays with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, native 8K 30p video encoding and 8K 60p video decoding and finally support for up to 320 MP single camera resolution and the ability to shoot pictures at 108 MP at 30 FPS and of course there are some AI features here too, that Samsung calls DVNR or Deep learning Video Noise Reduction. All modern video codecs such as AV1, VP9 and Samsung's own APV are supported, but there's no sign of H.266. We'll likely get more details of the Exynos 2600 at CES early next year.

Earlier in the month, Samsung's marketing team initiated their Exynos 2600 promotional campaign. At the time, official teaser material did not provide any substantial hints about the next-gen mobile chipset's technical underpinnings. Weeks later, a fresh leak has laid out the cutting-edge mobile processor's fundamentals. PhoneArt's social media post seems to confirm previous predictions about an overall 10-core design, and being based on an important in-house 2 nm node process. Today's prediction did not outline the Exynos 2600 SoC's cluster configuration, but previous outpourings have settled on a "1x Prime + 3x Performance + 6x Efficiency" internal setup. PhoneArt reckons that the prime core will reach a maximum clock frequency of 3.9 GHz. A commenter, Erencan Yılmaz, reckons that this figure should be reduced to 3.8 GHz, due to power consumption considerations when looking at a 2 nm GAA-based design.

Supposedly, max. performance core speed is 3.25 GHz, while efficiency-oriented units can only reach up to 2.75 GHz. In the past Samsung and AMD have co-developed various Xclipse integrated graphics solutions, for proprietary smartphone platforms. Industry observers expected this RDNA-based collaboration to continue into a new generation. The fresh mentioning of a mysterious "AMD JUNO" iGPU has caused some confusion—this new Team Red IP is said to be clocked at 985 MHz. Additionally, PhoneArt claims that "JUNO" supports modern APIs: OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 3.0, and Vulkan 1.3. It is plausible that "JUNO" could be a codename for the speculated "Xclipse 960" integrated graphics processor.

Samsung Foundry's "Heat Path Block" (HPB) technology is reportedly a key aspect featured within the upcoming Exynos 2600 application processor (AP). The South Korean's previous flagship mobile chipsets have often been beset with thermal issues, leading to the deployment of rival chipsets within certain generations of Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The South Korean seems to be pinning its hopes on the emerging Exynos 2600 across a number of fronts. Most notably as a confident "proof of concept" demonstration of the foundry business's cutting-edge 2 nm GAA process (aka SF2). According to a freshly-published ET News SK article, Samsung's innovative "semiconductor heat-suppressing technology" has already attracted interest from Apple and Qualcomm.

In the recent past, these VVIP clients have been on the order books for TSMC's best modern node processes. Samsung's SF2 line is seemingly being dangled as a carrot; designed to entice the return of former customers. Semiconductor industry trackers reckon that the Exynos 2600 SoC—enhanced with HPB tech—will serve as a strong demo of Samsung's 2 nm chip making capabilities. The foundry's in-house Heat Path Block is a copper heatsink that is packaged on top of a mobile AP. Heat dissipation is further maximized by moving DRAM to the side—previous Exynos layouts had this aspect placed atop APs. Insiders believe that a 30% improvement has been observed when comparing the Exynos 2600 to a predecessor. Samsung's System LSI division supposedly co-created the HPB design with an internal packaging development organization.

Mid-week Samsung's smartphone marketing division kicked off an Exynos 2600 marketing campaign. A short video teaser proclaimed that the upcoming flagship mobile processor has been "refined at the core" and "optimized at every level." Industry experts believe that the 2 nm chip will be deployed within a portion of next wave Galaxy S-series devices. A new product launch window could be scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. Despite freshly optimistic promotional fanfare, certain South Korean industry insiders have expressed doubt about the megacorp's present day foundry capabilities.

Buried at the bottom half of a Money Today SK news article—mostly covering Samsung HBM developments—is a short paragraph that proposes an alternative perspective of the foundry service's SF2 production line status. The report posits that the cutting-edge facility is cutting things a little fine: "Exynos 2600, a 2 nm (GAA) application processor (AP) for smartphones, is expected to enter mass production soon. It is expected to feature in the Galaxy S26 series, which will be released next year. In an unusual move, Samsung Foundry recently released a teaser video for the Exynos 2600." Going back to late September, semiconductor industry insiders believed that high-volume production had started ahead of schedule—citing pleasing progress with "50% yield rates." Partially reaffirming Money Today SK's freshest claim, DigiTimes Asia reported (last week) about a late November initiation of mass production.

Samsung's next-gen flagship Exynos 2600 5G mobile chipset seems to be closing in on a launch window. Yesterday, a teaser trailer appeared online—the 30-second-long presentation mentioned that the South Korean giant's top SoC offering has been "refined at the core" and "optimized at every level." Contrary to this present day positive messaging, a steady flow of inside track information has indicated a problematic development. The Exynos 2600 processor's gestation has been linked to a troubled 2 nm GAA process (aka SF2), going back over a year. Late August reportage signalled that Samsung's foundry business was "going all in" with its cutting-edge 2 nm production line—future success could hinge on further node refinements; allegedly dubbed "SF2P" and "SF2P+." The Samsung Galaxy S26 series could be the first set of smartphones to land at retail with 2 nm silicon onboard. Previous Galaxy S generations—three in total—have relied entirely on Qualcomm chips.

Older in-house chip-powered efforts were viewed as inferior to rival flagship devices; normally operating with the best Snapdragon chipsets inside. According to a fresh Korea Joongang Daily article, a "dual-chip strategy" has been arranged for the forthcoming S26 models. The report alludes to yet another reliance on Qualcomm, although reduced for specific territories: "it is widely suspected by industry observers that the S26 and S26 Plus will be mounted with the Exynos 2600 in Europe and Korea, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite (3 nm) will be installed in the same models across the United States, China and Japan. For the S26 Ultra, Qualcomm chips will be used across all markets." Samsung's Exynos 2600 chip is expected to feature a 10-core design (1+3+6), paired up with a brand-new Xclipse 960 iGPU. This information was gleaned from early benchmark results; alleged evaluation sample data was discovered during the summer months.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2025. The Company posted KRW 86.1 trillion in consolidated revenue, an increase of 15.4% compared to the previous quarter. Operating profit increased to KRW 12.2 trillion. The Device Solutions (DS) Division reported a 19% increase in sales quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), with the Memory Business setting an all-time high for quarterly sales, driven by strong growth of HBM3E and server SSDs. Meanwhile, the Device eXperience (DX) Division posted a revenue increase of 11% QoQ due to the successful launch of new foldable phones and solid flagship sales.

Looking ahead to Q4, the rapid growth of the AI industry is expected to open up new market opportunities for both the DS and DX Divisions. The DS Division plans to focus on enhancing its performance by increasing sales of high-value-added memory products tailored to AI. The semiconductor market is expected to remain strong, driven by ongoing AI investment momentum. Meanwhile, the DX Division will strengthen its efforts to launch AI products equipped with the most innovative technologies through open collaborations with leading global partners in respective business segments.

As we have seen with Intel, leading-edge node development is a difficult thing to maintain, unless you are TSMC. It appears that Samsung's push into cutting-edge nodes now hinges on the success of its 2 nm GAA process, which will be a make-or-break node for Samsung Foundry. As the first 2 nm product, Samsung envisioned its own Exynos 2600 flagship SoC for the first-generation SF2 node. However, potential external clients are watching closely to see whether Samsung can translate its development progress into reliable, high-yield manufacturing. This is an area where the 3 nm SF3 node reportedly struggled. If the first 2 nm ramp proves stable, it would validate months of engineering work and reopen opportunities for large-scale foundry contracts. Adding to the pressure, Samsung is already preparing a second-generation variant, known as SF2P, and work on an SF2P+ follow-up is underway. These next steps are important because they promise further gains in performance, power efficiency, and density.

Reports of a major multi-billion Dollar agreement to supply AI-focused chips on Samsung's 2 nm platform have increased expectations and put faith in Samsung's Foundry capability. Such a contract would be a meaningful commercial win, but it will count for little unless Samsung can deliver steady yields and predictable capacity. In the long term, Samsung expects multi-year demand for 2 nm wafers, which is why it is developing multiple process generations in parallel. Nevertheless, the company's reputation in bleeding-edge foundry work will be decided by whether SF2 variants, especially second-generation SF2P and SF2P+, mature quickly enough to offer both the technical benefits and manufacturing reliability customers require. Proving the first 2 nm node can scale is crucial. Still, Samsung's future competitiveness will ultimately rest on stabilizing yields and showing that its second-generation processes can sustain performance and supply over time.

Samsung's Exynos 2500 SoC has appeared on Geekbench, this time giving us a clearer indication of what to expect from the upcoming SoC that will power the next generation of Samsung flagship smartphones. There are three total runs that have appeared on Geekbench, putting forward anywhere between 2303 and 2356 points in the single-core Geekbench 6 benchmark and 8062 and 8076 points in the multicore benchmark. Meanwhile, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite in the current-generation Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra manages a single-core score of 2883 and a multicore score or 9518 on the same Geekbench 6 benchmark. Samsung recently made the Exynos 2500 public, with the spec sheet revealing a Samsung Xclipse 950 GPU paired with 10 Arm Cortex CPUs (1× Cortex-X5, 2× Cortex-A725 at 2.74 GHz, 5× Cortex-A725 at 2.36 GHz, and 2× Cortex A520 at 1.8 GHz).

The new SoC is reportedly the first chip to use Samsung's 3 nm GAA process, and leaks suggest that Samsung may be using the new SoC across its entire next-gen global smartphone line-up, starting with the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 7. This would be a stark departure from previous releases, where the US versions of the Galaxy S line-up featured Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, with the international Galaxy S smartphones packing the in-house Exynos designs. In recent years, however, Samsung has pivoted to using Snapdragon SoCs across all regions.

Over the past weekend Jukanlosreve declared via social media that Samsung's: "Exynos 2600 (mobile SoC) is definitely back, and it will be used in the Galaxy S26 series. But the chip volume is so limited that it'll likely be similar to the Exynos 990 situation. I'm not sure if SF2 is actually any good." Mid-way through March, the keen observer of semiconductor industry conditions posited that Samsung's Foundry business could abandon a 1.4 nm (SF1.4) process node. SF2 (aka 2 nm GAA) seems to be in a healthier place, according to insiders—thanks to rumored assistance from an external AI-specialist partner. The development of next-generation flagship Exynos smartphone processors are allegedly closely tied with Samsung Foundry's 2 nm GAA manufacturing process.

As alluded to by Jukanlosreve's recent prediction, the statuses of leaked 2 nm-based "Exynos 2600" and "Exynos 2500" chips were often questioned by industry watchdogs in the past. The latter is purportedly destined for rollout in forthcoming affordable "Galaxy Z Flip FE" models, albeit in mature 4 nm form. Vhsss_God—another source of inside track info—has weighed in on the topic of Samsung's next-gen chipset roadmap. Compared to Jukanlosreve's musings, their similarly-timed weekend projection seemed to be quite fanciful: "exclusive leak...Samsung doesn't want to use Exynos or Qualcomm Snapdragon chips anymore. S26 line is targeted to launch with the new Samsung developed chip (2 nm)—formerly referred to as Exynos 2600. (The company) will try its hardest to ditch Snapdragon on the entire Galaxy line next year." Perhaps there is too much of a negative stigma attached to Samsung's long-running chipset nomenclature, but the majority of foundry moles continue to label incoming designs as Exynos processors.

Last week, South Korean semiconductor industry moles let slip about the development of an "Exynos 2600" mobile chipset at Samsung Electronics. This speculative flagship processor was linked to the manufacturer's (inevitable) launch of Galaxy S26 smartphone models in early 2026. Despite rumors of the firm's Foundry service making decent progress with their preparation of a cutting-edge 2 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) node, certain critics reckon that Samsung will be forced into signing another (less than ideal) chip supply deal with Qualcomm. According to The Bell SK's latest news report, Samsung's LSI Division is working with plenty of determination—an alleged main goal being the next wave of top-end Galaxy smartphones deployed next year with in-house tech onboard.

Inside sources propose that Samsung's Exynos 2600 SoC needs to be "finished by the middle of the third quarter of this year," thus ensuring the release of in-house chip-powered Galaxy S26 devices. It is not clear whether this forecast refers to a finalized design or the start of mass production. The latest whispers regarding another proprietary next-gen mobile processor—Exynos 2500—paint a murky picture. Past leaks indicated possible avenues heading towards forthcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 smartphone models. The latest reports have linked this design to a mature 4 nm process and eventual fitting inside affordable "Galaxy Z Flip FE" Enterprise Edition SKUs. The Bell contacted one of its trusted sources—the unnamed informant observed that everything is in flux: "Exynos 2500 production plan is constantly changing...I thought it was certain, but I heard that the possibility has recently decreased slightly." Reportedly, Samsung employees have their plates full with plenty of simultaneous projects in 2025.

According to The Korea Economic Daily, an unlikely alliance—involving Samsung Electronics and Palantir Technologies—was formed at the end of last year. Late last week, insiders posited that the South Korean megacorporation's Foundry business was going through troubled times. It is not clear whether the assistance provided by Palantir's AI-infused suite has produced pleasing results chez Samsung's flagship production hubs, but insiders reckon that utilization of the software started just before Christmas. Local media outlets view this unusual pairing as a "gamble"—reportedly, the new-ish initiative has targeted an improved "semiconductor yield (ratio of good products in total production), quality, and productivity."

The Samsung Foundry appears to be going "all-in" with its 2 nm GAA node process; industry moles picked up on signals transmitted by an alleged special "task force (TF)." This elite team is reportedly entrusted with a challenging two-pronged goal; get 2 nm GAA over the finish line by late 2025, alongside the (connected) finalization of a much-rumored "Exynos 2600" mobile chipset. The Korea Economic Daily news article mentions the expansion of a "Samsung DS Division AI Center" back in December (2025), but falls short of labelling this department as the aforementioned "special task force." Despite a previous reluctance to share sensitive data with external companies, the latest report suggests a significant change in strategy. Further details were disclosed: "(Samsung's) collaboration with Palantir is handled by the DS Division AI Center...The AI Center is an organization that merged the DS Division Innovation Center and SAIT (formerly Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) AI Center, and is developing DS Division-specific technologies using AI, advancing development software, building AI platforms, and controlling and advancing facilities and infrastructure." Around late February, industry inside trackers predicted continued "smooth" progress with the 2 nm GAA node. Samsung Foundry's fully upgraded "S2" mass production line is expected to come online by Q4 2025.

Samsung Foundry could abandon its 1.4 nm (SF1.4) process node initially targeted for 2027 production, according to industry leaker @Jukanlosreve. This decision comes amid ongoing yield problems with the company's 3 nm SF3 node and follows the shutdown of underutilized 5 nm and 7 nm production lines. This could significantly impact Samsung's technology roadmap, which had positioned SF1.4 alongside automotive-focused SF2A and SF2Z nodes. According to Korea Economic Daily data, the foundry division's market share has fallen to 8.2% compared to TSMC's 67.1%. Samsung continues the development of Exynos 2600 on the SF2 node and maintains orders from Japan's Preferred Networks but has failed to attract major clients beyond Chinese firms, avoiding US sanctions. Internal restructuring appears imminent, with reports suggesting the Exynos design team may move under the Mobile Experience division.

While Samsung may prioritize improving yields on existing nodes rather than pursuing SF1.4, this approach risks competitive disadvantages in high-performance computing and AI markets. The SF2Z node with Backside Power Delivery Network (BPDN) technology remains under development, though its commercial viability depends on resolving broader manufacturing issues. Samsung's retreat would further fall behind advanced node manufacturing, competing with TSMC and potentially Intel, raising questions about competition in leading-edge semiconductor fabrication. The company's decisions in the coming months will determine whether it can regain manufacturing credibility or face production of trailing-edge semiconductor nodes. Manufacturing advanced silicon remains a challenge for everyone except TSMC.

Late last month, industry insiders posited that pleasing progress was being made with Samsung's cutting-edge 2 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) node process. The rumored abandonment of an older 3 nm GAA-based project—in late 2024—has likely sent the South Korean foundry team into overdrive. A speculated Exynos 2500 flagship mobile processor was previously linked to said 3 nm node, but industry watchdogs believe that company engineers are experimenting with a 2 nm GAA manufacturing process. According to the latest insider report—from FN News SK—Samsung Foundry (SF) has assembled a special "task force (TF)." Allegedly, this elite team will be dedicated to getting a newer "Exynos 2600 chip" over the finish line—suggesting an abandonment of the older "2500" design, or a simple renaming.

Samsung's recent launch of Galaxy S25 series smartphones was reportedly viewed as a disappointing compromise—with all models being powered by Qualcomm's "first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform," instead of in-house devised chipsets. According to industry moles, one of the SF task force's main goals is a boosting of 2 nm GAA production yields up to "economically viable" levels (roughly 60-70%)—apparently last month's best result was ~30%. Mass production of prototype chipsets is tipped to start by May. Samsung's reported target of "stabilizing their Exynos 2600" SoC design will ensure that "Galaxy S26 series" devices will not become reliant on Qualcomm internals. Additionally, FN News proposes a bigger picture scenario: "the stabilization of 2 nm (SF2/GAA) products, is expected to speed up the acquisition of customers for Samsung Electronics' foundry division, which is thirsty for leading-edge process customers." A forthcoming rival next-gen mobile chip—Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2—is supposedly in the pipeline. The smartphone industry inside track reckons that Qualcomm has signed up with TSMC; with a 2 nm manufacturing process in mind.

The late 2024 news cycle suggested that Samsung's semiconductor business was going through tough times. Alleged yield problems—affecting the 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process—were highlighted last November. Fast-forward to January 2025; the South Korean megacorp has launched its cutting-edge Galaxy S25 smartphone series. The entire lineup of newly unveiled flagship smartphones contains Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipsets; the Southern Californian chip designer is reportedly pulling in a tidy sum from this partnership. Fresh reports from South Korean news outlets indicate that Samsung System LSI employees have received an "encouraging" email from their boss, regarding current production predicaments.

Businesskorea and Sedaily reports include quotes extracted from the (apparently) leaked internal memo. LSI division president, Park Yong-in, reportedly stated: "we are currently in a situation where we have to develop two flagship products at the same time." Both articles allege that Samsung's semiconductor teams are expected to "cultivate roots and withstand storms." Industry watchdogs believe that the aforementioned "flagship products" are the Exynos 2500 mobile chipset, and Samsung Electronic's next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone family. Earlier this month, we heard whispers about the much-delayed in-house chip design being readied (with a 2 nm process) for a possible late 2025 launch, inside unannounced Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 devices. Park disclosed anticipated incoming obstacles in 2025: "last year's business division profit was higher than expected, but this was a temporary phenomenon...Looking at the entire business division, there will be monthly surpluses and deficits." Last month, inside sources proposed the notion that foundry investments were slashed in half.

At the end of January, Samsung Electronics released their financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2024. Smartphone tech watchdogs paid close to attention to the South Korean giant's accompanying earnings call. The recently released Galaxy S25 smartphone family is, exclusively, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets—insiders believe that Samsung opted out of utilizing proprietary chip designs (for this generation) due to missed production goals. Late last year, inside sources pointed to the foundry's allegedly problematic 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process node. Follow-up reports suggest that Samsung engineers have moved onto developing a 2 nm manufacturing process, possibly linked to a re-designed Exynos 2500 flagship mobile processor.

Brian Ma, a technology industry analyst, extracted relevant information from Samsung's recent earnings meeting—several press outlets have picked up on his brief social media post. The IDC employee stated: "Samsung System LSI just mentioned in its earnings call that it's optimizing Exynos 2500 and 'aiming' to secure design wins for mobile models scheduled for release in 2H" The rumor mill has proposed that new "Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7" smartphone models are currently in the development pipeline—coincidental timing indicates that the two devices could launch later in 2025, potentially with next-gen flagship Exynos SoCs onboard. Tipsters reckon that the Exynos 2500 is configured with a 10-core cluster, and its integrated graphics solution will be an AMD RDNA 3.5-enabled Xclipse 950 model.

Samsung's native foundry operations have wrestled with the 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process—these problems have persisted since the first reports of "missed production targets" emerged late last year—online speculators floated a very disappointing yield figure: only 20%. Last December, industry moles proposed that the South Korean technology giant had devised plans to form an Exynos-centric "multi-channel partnership" with rival chipmakers. Speculation pointed to TSMC being the only valid ally. Semiconductor industry tipster—Jukanlosreve—believes that negotiations have taken place, and the answer was a firm "no." TSMC's most advanced node process order books are likely filled up with more important customers—industry watchdogs reckon that Apple usually gets first dibs.

Taiwan's top semiconductor manufacturer leads the market with its cutting-edge lithography techniques. Insiders believe that Samsung was impressed by TSMC's 2 nm trial production runs achieving (rumored) 60% yields. The higher-end Exynos chipsets are normally produced with the best node process available, but missed manufacturing goals have caused Samsung to drop in-house tech. In the recent past, Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon mobile chipsets have been deployed on flagship Galaxy S smartphones. Jukanlosreve believes that TSMC rejected Samsung's proposed Exynos deal due to a fear of revealing too many "trade secrets." Potentially, the South Koreans could have learned a thing or two about improving yields—courtesy of TSMC's expert knowledge.

Samsung's latest semiconductor manufacturing technology is falling short of expectations, as the company struggles to achieve acceptable production rates for its cutting-edge 3 nm chips. The latest rumors indicate that both versions of Samsung's 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process produce fewer viable chips than anticipated. The initial targets set by the South Korean tech giant were aimed at a 70% yield rate in volume production. However, the first "SF3E-3GAE" iteration of the technology has only managed to achieve between 50-60% viable yield output. More troubling is the performance of the second-generation process, which is reportedly yielding only 20% of usable chips—a figure that falls dramatically short of production goals. The timing is particularly challenging for Samsung as major clients begin to reevaluate their manufacturing partnerships.

Qualcomm has opted to produce its latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processors exclusively through rival TSMC's 3 nm facilities. Even more telling is the exodus of South Korean companies, traditionally loyal to Samsung, who are now turning to TSMC's more reliable manufacturing processes. While Samsung can claim the achievement of bringing 3 nm GAA technology to market before TSMC's competing N3B process, this technical victory rings hollow without the ability to mass-produce chips efficiently. The gap between Samsung's aspirations and manufacturing reality continues to widen. However, Samsung is shifting its focus toward its next technological milestone. Development efforts are reportedly intensifying around a 2 nm manufacturing process, with plans to debut this technology in a new Exynos processor (codenamed 'Ulysses') for the 2027 Galaxy S27 smartphone series.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2024. The Company posted KRW 79.1 trillion in consolidated revenue, an increase of 7% from the previous quarter, on the back of the launch effects of new smartphone models and increased sales of high-end memory products. Operating profit declined to KRW 9.18 trillion, largely due to one-off costs, including the provision of incentives in the Device Solutions (DS) Division. The strength of the Korean won against the U.S. dollar resulted in a negative impact on company-wide operating profit of about KRW 0.5 trillion compared to the previous quarter.

In the fourth quarter, while memory demand for mobile and PC may encounter softness, growth in AI will keep demand at robust levels. Against this backdrop, the Company will concentrate on driving sales of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and high-density products. The Foundry Business aims to increase order volumes by enhancing advanced process technologies. Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) expects the demand of flagship products from major customers to continue, while maintaining a quite conservative outlook on its performance. The Device eXperience (DX) Division will continue to focus on premium products, but sales are expected to decline slightly compared to the previous quarter.

Samsung Electronics is speeding up its work on 2 nm production facilities, industry sources say. The company has started to install advanced equipment at its "S3" foundry line in Hwaseong to set up a 2 nm production line. This line aims to produce 7,000 wafers each month by the first quarter of next year. Also, Samsung plans to create a 1.4 nm production line at its "S5" foundry in Pyeongtaek Plant 2 by the second quarter of next year. This line has a goal to make 2,000 to 3,000 wafers each month. By the end of next year, Samsung will change all the remaining 3 nm production lines at "S3" to 2 nm.

As we reported earlier, Samsung has pushed back the start date for its Tyler, Texas foundry. The plant set to open by late 2024, won't install equipment until after 2026. Also, Samsung has changed its plans for the Pyeongtaek Fab 4 foundry line. Because of lower demand, it will now make DRAM instead, moreover, at Pyeongtaek Fab 3, which has a 4 nm line, Samsung has cut back production. These changes are part of Samsung's plan to make 2 nm chips next year and 1.4 nm chips by 2027. The company wants to catch up with its rival TSMC, right now, Samsung has 11.5% of the global foundry market in Q2, while TSMC leads with 62.3%. An industry expert stressed how crucial this is saying, "With the delay in 3 nm Exynos production and other issues, getting the 2 nm process right could make or break Samsung Foundry". The struggle for Samsung is real, with the company's top management, led by DS Division Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun, having recently issued a public apology for the division's underwhelming performance.