Exynos 2600 Efficiency Rumor: 2nm GAA Prototype Beats Apple’s A19 Pro in Geekbench 6 Power Draw

Rumor status and context are crucial here. Samsung’s first 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) mobile chipset, reportedly named the Exynos 2600, is said to deliver a striking leap in efficiency in early engineering runs. According to figures circulating from a prototype board, the chip allegedly sips less power than Apple’s A19 Pro during Geekbench 6, hinting at a potential generational reset for Exynos on the performance-per-watt scoreboard. While the raw performance scores from those runs are not shared, the power telemetry alone has sparked debate: if accurate, Samsung’s 2nm GAA could be doing exactly what the technology was designed to do – attack leakage and heat at the source.

Rumor Meter: Proceed With Caution

What the Numbers Claim

The tip stems from prototype testing shared by a known leaker, indicating the Exynos 2600 allegedly consumed about 7.6 W running Geekbench 6 multi-core and approximately 3.6 W in single-core. On the graphics side, a GFXBench pass is said to land near 5.4 W. For comparison, prior board power measurements associated with Apple’s A19 Pro have been cited around 12.1 W during the same multi-core benchmark. On a simple ratio, 12.1 ÷ 7.6 ≈ 1.59, implying roughly a 59% lower multi-core power requirement for the Exynos sample under those specific lab conditions.

Importantly, these are power draw figures, not final system metrics. They can vary based on instrumentation, board design, firmware, and thermal setup. Still, as a directional indicator, they point to a platform aggressively reducing leakage – precisely the calling card of 2nm GAA.

Why 2nm GAA Matters

GAA replaces the FinFET gate structure with an all-around gate that better controls current through the channel. In mobile silicon, that improved electrostatic control is often translated into lower leakage at a given performance point, enabling either higher clocks within the same power budget or similar performance at meaningfully reduced power. If Samsung’s foundry implementation is maturing, the Exynos 2600 could finally break a cycle of power and thermal disadvantages that have dogged some previous Exynos generations.

Performance-Per-Watt and the Fine Print

Earlier cross-vendor comparisons suggested Apple’s A-series maintained class-leading single-threaded efficiency. This rumor complicates that narrative by implying Samsung’s prototype is achieving substantially better multi-core efficiency in a like-for-like benchmark mode. However, the absence of the actual Geekbench 6 scores in the leak means we cannot compute a strict performance-per-watt metric – only power-at-load. Without normalized throughput figures, claims of outright efficiency leadership should be read as tentative.

It’s also worth distinguishing board power from SoC package power. Peripheral controllers, memory timing, and cooling profiles can nudge the numbers. Engineering boards are invaluable for bring-up but don’t mirror retail thermals, governors, and firmware polish.

GPU Power Hints and Gen-Over-Gen Gains

The rumored 5.4 W draw in GFXBench is intriguing. Mobile GPUs today juggle frequency scaling, compression, and driver-level optimizations to tame power spikes. If sustained performance at that envelope holds, we could be looking at smoother thermals for gaming and camera pipelines under prolonged loads. Meanwhile, versus the Exynos 2400, whispers of a ~30% performance-per-watt uplift position the 2600 as a genuine generational step, not a side-grade.

Head-to-Head With Apple’s A19 Pro

On paper, a 59% multi-core power advantage is sensational – but the key questions remain: Can the Exynos 2600 match or exceed A19 Pro’s raw throughput while keeping that power gap? And can Samsung translate lab results into shipping phones once thermal envelopes tighten and OEMs layer on their own schedulers and camera stacks? Real-world efficiency is a blend of silicon, software, and sustained thermal design. That’s where commercial silicon tells the truth.

Timeline, Availability, and What to Watch

As a prototype leak, the timeline and binning remain unknown. Final retail chips can shift voltage-frequency curves, memory controllers, and GPU drivers. Watch for corroborated Geekbench 6 scores, not just power; GPU sustained runs beyond first minutes; and camera/video workloads, which are often decisive for day-to-day thermals. If these efficiency deltas survive into production, Android flagships with Exynos 2600 could deliver longer sustained performance and cooler hands during heavy multitasking and gaming.

Bottom Line

The Exynos 2600 rumor mill paints a cautiously optimistic picture: Samsung’s 2nm GAA may be paying off exactly where it counts – reducing leakage and curbing power draw under load. Until verified scores and retail devices arrive, mark this as promising but unproven. If the numbers hold, the 2600 won’t just be competitive; it could reframe expectations for Exynos efficiency in 2025.