Samsung Exynos 2700 reportedly tops Qualcomm chips in internal tests ahead of Galaxy S27

A reported 13,000 points puts Samsung's next chip in focus

Samsung Electronics' Exynos 2700 reportedly scored about 13,000 points in an internal Geekbench 6.5 CPU multicore test, compared with roughly 11,000 for Qualcomm's top competing processor. The results put Samsung's next mobile chip ahead by about 20% as the company prepares it for the Galaxy S27 smartphone series.

The comparison involved Xiaomi 18 Pro Max phones using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. Samsung's processor also reportedly led that chip by about 15% in Geekbench 7.0 multicore testing and by about 20% in one assessment of peak graphics performance.

For Samsung, the stakes extend beyond a faster phone. Its System LSI business designs Exynos processors, its foundry business manufactures them, and its smartphone business decides which Galaxy devices will use them. A successful Exynos 2700 could support all three operations while reducing reliance on processors bought from Qualcomm.

The findings are attributed to industry sources describing Samsung's internal testing. A different set of reported results gives smaller CPU advantages, making the exact comparison a central part of the story. Finished Galaxy S27 devices will provide the practical test of speed, battery use and heat management.

What the CPU scores actually measure

A mobile application processor, or AP, handles much of a smartphone's computing. Its central processing unit, or CPU, runs instructions for applications and the operating system. A multicore benchmark measures how its processing cores work together on a collection of tasks.

Geekbench assigns a score to that work, allowing comparisons between tested devices. Samsung's reported 13,000 points against Qualcomm's roughly 11,000 represents a difference of about 2,000 points. Using those rounded figures, the advantage is approximately 18%, close to the roughly 20% described in the testing accounts.

The reported lead changes with the benchmark version. Exynos 2700 was about 15% ahead of the top Qualcomm chip in Geekbench 7.0, compared with about 20% in Geekbench 6.5. Different versions use different workloads and scoring methods, so readers should compare processors within the same version.

Against the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 used in the Xiaomi 18 Pro, Samsung's reported advantage was larger: 44% in Geekbench 6.5 and 36% in Geekbench 7.0. Those percentages describe how much higher Samsung scored relative to Qualcomm's result.

The distinction between Qualcomm's two tiers matters for buyers. A comparison with the standard chip gives a different picture from a comparison with the most expensive version. The reported Xiaomi testing used the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max as devices representing those different tiers.

Why another set of results gives a smaller lead

Industry sources describing the 13,000 versus 11,000 comparison put Samsung's Geekbench 6.5 advantage at about 20% over the Extreme chip; other reporting based on anonymous insiders gives a 9.5% lead over a processor called Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and a 19% lead over the standard version.

The naming also varies. The higher Qualcomm tier is called Extreme in the main benchmark accounts and Pro in the other testing account. The precise relationship between the named devices, processor versions and test configurations has not been clarified publicly.

Both sets of figures place Exynos ahead, but they give different answers about the size of its advantage. Cooling, software settings and the stage of chip development can affect a benchmark score. A phone that lets a processor draw more power for a short test may produce a different result from one configured to limit heat.

For Galaxy buyers, the useful comparison will be between retail phones running comparable software and workloads. Samsung's internal figures provide an early indication of its development progress, while the final devices will determine how that progress translates into everyday use.

Graphics results point to two kinds of improvement

Exynos 2700 reportedly scored about 20% above Qualcomm's Extreme chip in a test of maximum graphics processing under demanding gaming conditions using advanced graphics technology. Another test of basic graphics calculations in demanding 3D games put Samsung about 5% ahead.

A graphics processing unit, or GPU, performs many calculations at once to draw game scenes and other visual content. Its performance helps determine how smoothly a game runs, although the game's software, screen resolution and phone cooling also affect the experience.

The additional insider account describes a 5% graphics advantage over the Qualcomm Pro chip in an unspecified benchmark. It also gives results under a fixed power limit of 2.5 watts: Exynos reportedly scored 22% above the Pro and 24% above the standard Elite processor.

Testing at a fixed power limit asks a useful question for a battery powered device: how much graphics work can the chip complete with the same electricity allowance? A processor that performs well within a small power budget could give phone designers more room to balance gaming speed, heat and battery use.

The test names and detailed graphics settings were not disclosed. For players, the most useful follow through would be consistent frame rates during a long gaming session, when heat has had time to build, rather than peak speed alone.

Battery and AI tests add another dimension

Samsung's internal testing reportedly included simulated smartphone use in which Exynos 2700 drew 161 milliamps of current, compared with 185 milliamps for the Qualcomm Elite Pro. That is 24 milliamps less, or about 13% below the Qualcomm figure.

Current measures the flow of electric charge. Calculating power also requires voltage, while battery life depends on the whole phone, including its display, modem, software and battery capacity. The reported simulation gives a comparison for that particular workload; a consumer battery estimate would require measurements from complete devices.

Artificial intelligence testing reportedly used Llama 3.1 8B, a language model with roughly eight billion parameters. Parameters are numerical settings learned during training that help the model generate responses. Exynos 2700 reportedly produced answers 18% faster than the Snapdragon processor in that test.

Faster responses could make AI features running directly on a phone feel more immediate. The account gives no detailed breakdown of response length, model settings or which processing components performed the work, leaving the result tied to the specific internal setup.

Samsung is betting on SF2P and better heat removal

Samsung plans to manufacture Exynos 2700 using SF2P, its second generation process in the 2 nanometer family. System LSI is responsible for the processor design, while Samsung Foundry would turn that design into physical chips.

A manufacturing process describes the technology used to build a chip's tiny electronic switches. The 2 nanometer label identifies a technology generation. Samsung's approach uses gate all around transistors, whose structure helps control electrical current as chip designs become more densely packed.

Reported process targets for SF2P include 12% higher performance, 25% lower power consumption and 8% less chip area than the first generation SF2 process. Those figures refer to the manufacturing technology comparison. The finished Exynos processor also depends on its CPU and GPU designs, memory connections and operating settings.

Heat removal is another reported priority. Exynos 2700 is expected to use an improved Heat Path Block, or HPB, packaging technology. Packaging connects and protects the chip while also helping move heat away from it. More effective heat removal can help a processor maintain speed for longer before reducing its operating frequency.

Samsung is also reportedly considering packaging that places dies beside one another rather than stacking them vertically. A die is an individual piece of semiconductor material containing circuitry. Spreading components horizontally could offer another route for dispersing heat, although the final packaging arrangement remains under development.

Which hardware features are still being considered?

Exynos 2700 is expected to continue using CPU designs from Arm, with C2 cores discussed as a likely option. Samsung is reportedly testing several core combinations, including an arrangement described as 4+1+4+1, which would total ten cores divided into four groups.

Different groups of CPU cores can take on different kinds of work. A phone can assign lighter tasks to cores designed for efficiency and more demanding jobs to faster cores. The reported configuration is one of the combinations being tested rather than a settled specification.

On graphics, Xclipse 970 is discussed as a likely GPU, potentially using AMD's RDNA 5 architecture. Support for LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage is also under consideration. Memory holds data applications need immediately, while storage keeps applications, photos and other files.

Samsung's Mobile Experience business would decide which memory and storage technologies to adopt in Galaxy S27 products. Support inside a processor and inclusion in every phone are separate product decisions, shaped by component availability, cost and the requirements of each model.

The development and launch timetable

Park Yong-in, president and head of Samsung's System LSI business, addressed the project at a management briefing in June. He described development as progressing toward use in Samsung's most advanced phones.

Development of the Exynos 2700 is on track, with the aim of having it used in flagship models,

The reported schedule places Exynos 2700 mass production in the second half of 2026, with a possible unveiling late that year. Galaxy S27 phones are generally expected early the following year. The development sequence described across the reports is:

• June: Park said Exynos 2700 development was on track for use in flagship models.
• September 22: Qualcomm reportedly introduced its sixth generation Snapdragon 8 Elite lineup.
• October 25: Industry accounts described Samsung's internal CPU and GPU comparisons.
• Second half of 2026: Reported target period for Exynos 2700 mass production, followed by a possible unveiling late in the year.
• Early the following year: Expected Galaxy S27 introduction, with processor choices varying by model and market.

The June, September and October references do not consistently specify a calendar year. Samsung has not announced a firm Galaxy S27 launch date in the statements described here.

What wider Exynos use would change

Samsung already mixes Exynos and Snapdragon processors across Galaxy models and sales regions. Exynos 2600 is reported to power selected Galaxy S26 models and the Galaxy Z Flip8, giving the next chip an existing place in Samsung's phone strategy.

Some projections put Exynos at as much as 50% of Galaxy S27 production, compared with about 25% for the S26 generation. On those estimates, its share would rise by 25 percentage points and double. Korea and Europe are considered likely markets for Exynos versions, with other regions possible.

A broader figure puts Exynos in about 16% to 18% of Samsung phones. That estimate covers a wider range of devices than the projected Galaxy S series shares. The two measures describe different parts of Samsung's business.

Using more internally designed processors could reduce spending on Qualcomm chips and give Samsung more control over product costs. Qualcomm is also reported to have indicated that its next generation processors will cost more. Any savings involving licensing payments would depend on Samsung's contractual arrangements, for which no figures were given.

Samsung Foundry has a related commercial interest. A competitive Exynos chip made using SF2P would serve as a visible example of its manufacturing capabilities. Yield, the share of manufactured chips that work as intended, would help determine production costs and the ability to supply large numbers of Galaxy phones.

For consumers, Samsung's business gains matter most when they translate into devices that stay responsive, manage heat and last longer between charges. The Exynos 2700 reports suggest progress across several of those areas. Retail phone comparisons will determine the balance Samsung ultimately delivers.

Key Points

• Exynos 2700 reportedly scored about 13,000 in Geekbench 6.5 multicore testing, against roughly 11,000 for Qualcomm's top competing chip.
• Another insider account gives a smaller CPU lead of 9.5% over a Qualcomm version called Pro.
• Reported testing also covers graphics performance, electricity use and faster responses from a Llama 3.1 8B AI model.
• Samsung plans to use its SF2P manufacturing process and improved packaging to support performance and heat removal.
• Mass production is reportedly targeted for the second half of 2026, ahead of the expected Galaxy S27 introduction early the following year.
• Wider Exynos adoption could reduce Samsung's reliance on Qualcomm, with final performance dependent on the finished phones.