Samsung’s new flagship processor might have a big efficiency problem because of a strange design choice. The Exynos 2600, built on their latest 2-nanometer technology, does not have a modem built into the chip itself. Instead, phones using it will rely on a separate, external component called the Shannon 5410 for cellular connectivity.
This external setup is generally much less power-efficient than an integrated modem. That could seriously hurt the battery life and real-world performance of next year’s Galaxy S26 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 phones, which are supposed to use this processor. Samsung likely made the call to simplify manufacturing and improve production yields, but the tradeoff is significant.
On paper, the chip looks powerful. It boasts major performance jumps for its CPU, GPU, and AI neural processor over the last model, along with a new cooling block to manage heat. But all those efficiency gains on the spec sheet could be wiped out by the power drain of that standalone modem. It makes the company's performance claims much harder to believe until actual devices are tested.
This external setup is generally much less power-efficient than an integrated modem. That could seriously hurt the battery life and real-world performance of next year’s Galaxy S26 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 phones, which are supposed to use this processor. Samsung likely made the call to simplify manufacturing and improve production yields, but the tradeoff is significant.
On paper, the chip looks powerful. It boasts major performance jumps for its CPU, GPU, and AI neural processor over the last model, along with a new cooling block to manage heat. But all those efficiency gains on the spec sheet could be wiped out by the power drain of that standalone modem. It makes the company's performance claims much harder to believe until actual devices are tested.
