This image captured from Samsung Electronics Co.’s website shows the Exynos 2600 application processor. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics is set to unveil its first mobile graphics processing unit developed entirely with in-house technology, marking a significant step toward greater independence in the fiercely competitive semiconductor industry shaped by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
According to industry officials on Thursday, Samsung has equipped its upcoming Exynos 2600 mobile application processor with a newly designed GPU created using Samsung’s own engineering, paired with architectural elements licensed from U.S. chipmaker AMD. The Exynos 2600 is slated to power the Galaxy S26 smartphone series, expected to debut next year.
The move represents a milestone for Samsung, which has relied on AMD-designed GPUs for its Exynos processors since 2022. While earlier models incorporated externally sourced GPU intellectual property, the company began developing its own GPU design capabilities in 2023. From the Exynos 2600 onward, Samsung will gradually transition toward GPUs built entirely on its proprietary architecture, industry sources said.
Graphics processors, once focused primarily on gaming and visual performance, have become central to on-device artificial intelligence, handling the massive parallel computations required for image recognition, voice processing and generative AI inference. Securing proprietary GPU technology is therefore widely seen as critical to long-term competitiveness in system semiconductors.
Only a handful of companies globally — including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Apple and Qualcomm — possess fully independent GPU capabilities. Samsung, despite having its own mobile processor line, had remained dependent on external GPU IP until now.
Analysts say the development could reduce Samsung’s long-term costs, strengthen its negotiating position with customers, and enable the creation of customized chips tailored to specific AI workloads. Over time, the technology could be extended beyond smartphones to applications such as robotics and extended reality devices.
The GPU is being developed by Samsung’s System LSI Division, which is seeking to revive the Exynos brand after several years of market setbacks. The successful rollout of the Exynos 2600 is seen as a key test of that effort — and a signal of Samsung’s broader ambition to reclaim ground in advanced chip design as AI reshapes the industry.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
