Exynos 2700, a new-generation chip codenamed "Ulysses", is expected to help Samsung make a major leap in the mobile market in 2027. While the current Exynos 2600 has already drawn attention with its copper-based thermal solution, the latest leaks suggest the Korean giant has far bigger ambitions for its successor, promising to fix every old weakness and deliver top-tier performance.
SF2P Manufacturing Process and a New-Generation ARM Core Architecture
A leaker who is not especially well known, but is respected by experts who follow the industry, has revealed the broad specifications of the Exynos 2700. The first highlight, and the easiest to predict, is that the chip will use Samsung's advanced SF2P manufacturing process. This is the successor to the 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) process already used on the Exynos 2600. For readers who want a mental picture, GAA is a 3D transistor architecture in which the gate completely surrounds the channel on all four sides, giving better electrostatic control and lowering the operating voltage threshold, which in turn saves battery.
The new SF2P process is expected to deliver an overall performance gain of about 12% and cut power consumption by up to 25% compared with the previous-generation SF2 node. More notably, the technology allows the prime core to reach clock speeds of up to 4.20GHz, well above the 3.90GHz peak of the Exynos 2600. As for the core layout, the Exynos 2700 is expected to use ARM Cortex-C2 cores. Note that ARM has changed its naming convention and dropped the "Cortex" label, so these new cores will likely launch under the names C2-Ultra and C2-Pro. Based on this data, experts predict the Exynos 2700 could achieve an IPC (instructions per cycle) gain of about 35%, with theoretical Geekbench 6 scores of 4.800 in single-core and 15.000 in multi-core.
A Breakthrough in Packaging and Cooling Technology
The most revolutionary change in the design of the Exynos 2700 may well be its packaging technology. The chipset is said to use FOWLP-SbS (Side-by-Side) packaging, with a single unified copper Heat Path Block (HPB) covering both the DRAM and the processor (AP). This change allows heat to dissipate far more efficiently. Unlike the current Exynos 2600 implementation, where only part of the AP makes direct contact with the heat spreader, the new technology on the Exynos 2700 lets the HPB cover the entire surface of the processor, ensuring maximum stability under heavy load.
In addition, Samsung is expected to keep using the Xclipse graphics architecture, based on AMD technology, for the Exynos 2700. Graphics performance should also benefit greatly from faster data transfer, thanks to support for LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage. Overall performance is estimated to rise by 30 to 40 percent. It is worth noting that the LPDDR6 standard supports throughput of up to 14.4 Gbps, an extremely impressive figure.
Unknowns and Future Expectations for the Exynos 2700
Although the leaks are very promising, quite a few unknowns remain around the Exynos 2700, since the official launch is still many months away. One of the big questions is whether Samsung will choose to integrate the cellular modem into the chip (an integrated modem) or use a separate one. A discrete modem is usually less power-efficient, but it simplifies the processor manufacturing process and so helps raise yields.
If all of these rumors come true, the Exynos 2700 (Ulysses) will be a formidable rival to Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The chip's success could help the Korean giant break free of its costly dependence on Qualcomm, opening a new, more independent and stronger chapter for the company's smartphone business.
