Samsung is reportedly gearing up for a significant architectural shift with its next-generation flagship processor, the Exynos 2700. Building on the thermal improvements introduced in the Exynos 2600, the tech giant is looking to revamp its hardware design to drastically boost sustained performance and data processing speeds for future premium Galaxy devices.

According to recent leaks, Samsung may ditch its current stacked architecture in favor of a Side-by-Side (SBS) layout for the Exynos 2700. This new design would see the RAM and the SoC (System on Chip) placed adjacent to each other, rather than vertically stacked.

For context, Samsung employed a Heat Path Block (HPB) on the Exynos 2600 to manage thermals. That chip utilized a package-on-package design with the RAM sitting directly on top of the SoC, and the HPB layered above the memory to aid heat dissipation. While this solution effectively reduced overall temperatures, it also created a scenario where heat could easily become trapped between the component layers.

With the new SBS layout, the heatsink will directly cover both the RAM and the SoC, allowing for far more efficient heat distribution. This architectural tweak could be the key to helping the Exynos 2700 maintain stable, peak performance over extended periods—crucial for demanding tasks like heavy gaming or on-device AI processing.

The benefits of the SBS design extend beyond just thermals; it is also expected to supercharge memory performance. By reducing the physical distance between the RAM and the SoC, Samsung could potentially increase memory bandwidth by an impressive 30 to 40 percent. If achieved, Galaxy phones powered by the Exynos 2700 will deliver significantly faster app launch times, buttery-smooth multitasking, and much more stable gaming frame rates.

Adding fuel to the fire, a recent rumor highlighted a thermal throttling test comparing the Exynos 2600 inside the Galaxy S26+ against the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The results indicated that Samsung's silicon was actually better at sustaining its performance during prolonged stress tests, setting a high bar for its successor.

Samsung has reportedly already begun testing the Exynos 2700 on benchmark platforms like Geekbench. The upcoming SoC is expected to be fabricated on Samsung's second-generation 2nm SF2P node, utilizing GAA (Gate-All-Around) architecture. It’s highly likely that select models in the upcoming Galaxy S27 lineup will feature this new processor.

If everything goes according to plan, Samsung will kick off mass production of the Exynos 2700 in the second half of 2026, targeting a commercial release late that year or early the following year.