For reference, Samsung's rival Apple was the first in the world to adopt the 3nm process to manufacture the A17 Pro chipset. iphone 15 pro lineup. Android chip makers Qualcomm and MediaTek, which are currently working on 4nm chips, are known to be working on more efficient 3 and 2-nanometer chips. 3nm chips are known to be more energy-efficient, have better battery life, less heating issues – and all of this leads to more longevity. 2nm chipsets are expected to be better than what 3nm currently offers.
Samsung's Project Tethys (Rumors)
According to South Korea ETNewsProject 'Tethys' is the codename for making 2nm chips. Samsung Electronics announced the It will mass produce 2nm architecture for mobile devices by 2025. For this it will use its factories in Korea and Texas.
So we can expect the 2nm chip that will likely be called the Exynos 2600 SoC to come to the Galaxy S26 series launching in 2026.
Meanwhile, if the rumors from the other side are true, Qualcomm may continue to use the 4nm process for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC. This could give Samsung the upper hand, at least theoretically. Even if Qualcomm goes with TSMC's 3nm node, Samsung There will still be a more efficient architecture. Now how it implements the same will make all the difference.
Since TSMC, the company that makes chips for Qualcomm, will be busy meeting Apple's massive demand (in the form of chips for iPhones and Macs), Samsung could take advantage of this. TSMC is also rumored to have the capacity and actual-working foundries for 3nm and 2nm chips, but even so, the aforementioned demand could become a constraint.
Samsung's 3nm GAA Plus (rumors)
Samsung's other efforts include adopting the GAA Plus transistor structure for 3nm chips. While the entire chip industry is gearing up to replace the FinFET structure with GAA Plus (also known as GAP), Samsung may be at the forefront.
GAA Plus is said to offer more bandwidth, more drive current, and less leakage, allowing for more power and efficiency with less heat. So, Samsung could adopt it to make its upcoming Exynos chips more efficient, perhaps even ready to take on the competition.
Lets see how it goes.
