With the Exynos 2600, Samsung takes a major leap in GPU autonomy, setting the stage for full independence with the Exynos 2800.
Samsung’s newly unveiled Exynos 2600 isn’t just the world’s first 2nm smartphone chip—it also marks a milestone in GPU development. According to Yonhap News Agency, the chip features Samsung’s first in-house GPU, the Xclipse 960, developed independently using AMD’s RDNA architecture.
This step edges Samsung closer to GPU independence and positions it alongside a rare league of chipmakers.
A Big First for Samsung Silicon
The Exynos 2600, expected to power the Galaxy S26 series in early 2027, is the first chip where Samsung fully developed the GPU in-house, despite using AMD’s blueprint.
- Previous GPUs in the Exynos 2200, 2400, and 2500 were co-developed with AMD, blending design input from both companies.
- Now, Samsung’s System LSI division has taken full reins on the Xclipse 960’s implementation.
It’s the halfway point in a broader plan: by Exynos 2800, Samsung aims to ditch AMD architecture entirely and design its own GPU from the ground up.
Why does this matter?
GPU Control = Performance and Platform Power
GPUs are the workhorses of today’s SoCs—crucial for gaming, UI rendering, camera processing, and AI workloads.
- Building in-house allows Samsung to optimize power efficiency and thermal behavior specifically for its Android UI and hardware.
- It also reduces licensing costs and limits reliance on external IP—an increasingly strategic priority as geopolitical and supply chain pressures grow.
Will Samsung’s GPU go beyond mobile?
How It All Started: From Windows to Android
Samsung’s GPU journey reportedly began with high-performance GPU design for Windows platforms, then transitioned to low-power, mobile-optimized GPUs for Android.
- This aligns with how Nvidia and Apple structured their GPU development: start big, then optimize down.
- With successful execution, Samsung joins the ranks of AMD, Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm—the only firms to create viable in-house GPU architectures.
The company is already looking beyond smartphones: autonomous vehicles, robots, and AI chips are next.
Exynos 2800: Full GPU Independence on the Horizon
The Exynos 2600’s GPU may still be AMD-based, but Samsung’s GPU autonomy roadmap is clear:
- Exynos 2800, expected in Galaxy S28, will reportedly feature a fully Samsung-designed GPU architecture.
- This represents a break from AMD entirely, and a leap toward Apple-style silicon verticalization.
If successful, Samsung could not only reclaim GPU credibility in smartphones—but emerge as a supplier in emerging compute markets.
TL;DR:
The Exynos 2600 is Samsung’s first smartphone chip with a GPU developed fully in-house, though still based on AMD’s RDNA architecture. It signals Samsung’s growing independence in GPU design, ahead of a full departure from AMD with the Exynos 2800.
