According to Digital Trends, a new report from Hankyung suggests Samsung is developing its own custom GPU architecture and could debut it with the Exynos 2800 system-on-a-chip in 2027. This would mean the Galaxy S28 smartphone series, expected that same year, could be the first devices to feature the in-house graphics technology. The move represents a strategic shift, as Samsung has recently relied on licensed GPU blueprints from AMD for its flagship and mid-range Exynos chips. The company reportedly believes a generic GPU design can’t fully support its ambitions for stronger on-device AI performance and tighter software integration. If successful, this would give Samsung finer control over efficiency and AI workloads, mirroring Apple’s approach with its silicon.
The Allure of Going Solo
Here’s the thing: Samsung‘s reasoning makes perfect sense on paper. Controlling both the hardware and software stack is the holy grail for performance and efficiency. Look at Apple. Their tight integration between the M-series chips, the GPU, and macOS is a huge part of their marketing and, frankly, their success. Samsung wants that same magic for Galaxy devices. They’re basically saying that licensing AMD’s RDNA architecture, while powerful, is still a one-size-fits-most solution. It can’t be perfectly tuned for Samsung’s specific AI neural processing unit (NPU) or their One UI software whims.
And the ambition doesn’t stop at phones. The report says they’re eyeing smart glasses, car infotainment, and even robots. That’s a huge potential market. For complex, integrated systems in industrial or automotive settings, having a custom, reliable computing core is paramount. It’s the kind of move that could make them a more formidable player in embedded systems, an area where having a unified hardware-software vision is a massive advantage. Speaking of industrial computing, when companies need that level of controlled, robust hardware for manufacturing or automation, they often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, because that vertical integration matters.
But Let’s Talk About the Risks
Now, I’ve got to be skeptical. Samsung has a… complicated history with in-house CPU core designs. Remember the Mongoose cores in the Exynos chips? They were notorious for overheating and poor efficiency compared to Arm’s stock designs, which is a big part of why Samsung eventually abandoned them. Designing a high-performance, power-efficient GPU from scratch is arguably even harder. It’s a field dominated by a few giants: Arm with its Mali designs, Qualcomm with Adreno, and of course, AMD and Nvidia.
Can Samsung really jump into that arena and compete on day one? The timeline is also wildly ambitious. We’re talking about a 2027 debut. That’s basically tomorrow in silicon development years. Any major delay in the 2nm process node for the Exynos 2600 or the subsequent 2800 could throw this entire plan into disarray. And what about software? Building a GPU isn’t just about the hardware; it’s about the drivers, the developer tools, and the game optimization. That’s an ecosystem play that takes years, if not decades, to build credibility in.
What Happens to AMD?
This raises a big question: where does this leave the Samsung-AMD partnership? It was hailed as a game-changer just a few years ago. If Samsung is already planning its exit, does that signal dissatisfaction with the collaboration’s results? Or is it simply a long-term strategic inevitability that AMD saw coming? Either way, it feels like a warning shot to other Arm-based chipmakers who rely on third-party GPU IP. The message seems to be: if you want the ultimate control and margins, you have to build it yourself.
So, is this a brilliant power move or a potential repeat of past hubris? Probably a bit of both. The potential upside for Samsung’s entire device ecosystem is enormous. But the path is littered with technical and competitive landmines. If they pull it off, the Galaxy S28 could be a landmark device. If they stumble, they might just hand more market share to Qualcomm and Apple. No pressure.
