Samsung Expands Chip Testing as Exynos 2600 Prepares for Galaxy S26 Series

Samsung may power its upcoming Galaxy S26 series with its in-house Exynos 2600 in most markets. The company has expanded its chip-testing network, bringing LB Semicon on board to handle wafer testing for the new processor. This shows that the firm is preparing for larger production volumes of its flagship mobile chip.

Samsung adds LB Semicon to testing network for Exynos 2600

Rumors suggest the upcoming Galaxy S26 and S26+ will use Exynos 2600 in regions like Korea and Europe, while North American models will feature Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Meanwhile, Galaxy S26 Ultra may rely on Qualcomm’s flagship chip globally. As the launch of the series approaches, Samsung has sped up production and quality control across its chip supply chain.

Samsung previously relied on partners like Doosan Tesna and Nepes for wafer testing on its high-end Exynos chips. Now, according to a report from ETNews, LB Semicon has joined the list of testing partners for the Exynos 2600. The company is currently installing equipment at its Anseong plant, with plans to begin wafer testing before the end of the year. Part of LB Group (a conglomerate of LG), LB Semicon is an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) company.

LB Semicon will check the electrical characteristics of wafers to identify any defective chips. The company will then send the good chips to the packaging stage, where they are checked to make sure the finished processor works correctly. Speaking of the Exynos 2600, the chip will use an in-house 2nm process. The new node will deliver 8% better power efficiency and 5% improved performance than the 3nm process.

There are chatters that Exynos 2600 could use new High-Performance Block (HPB) packaging technology. This design puts a heat-dissipating block directly above the processor alongside the DRAM module. As a result, the chip may provide up to 30% better heat control. We should learn more about the flagship processor in the coming weeks.