Rumours Clash Over Packaging Strategy for the Exynos 2700 Chip
Samsung’s next flagship Exynos 2700 chip, expected to power the Galaxy S27 and S27+, has become the centre of conflicting reports about its packaging and cost structure. An earlier story claimed Samsung was preparing to strip out Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP) to save costs, aligning with a broader strategy to make the Galaxy S27 series more accessible during a tight DRAM supply environment. More recently, however, a prominent leaker has pushed back, asserting that Samsung will give its 2nm Exynos 2700 processor the “best in-house technologies” available. This includes advanced packaging technology rather than a downgrade, aiming to keep the Galaxy S27 chipset competitive against rival offerings from Qualcomm and MediaTek. The resulting picture is a tug-of-war between profitability concerns and the need to deliver a genuinely premium 2nm platform for Samsung’s future flagship phones.
Advanced Packaging Technology and Why It Matters for the Galaxy S27 Chipset
At the heart of the debate is whether Samsung’s 2nm processor should retain FOWLP and other sophisticated techniques that fall under the umbrella of advanced packaging technology. FOWLP has been a key differentiator since the Exynos 2400, enabling smaller footprints, thinner profiles and improved thermal resistance compared with more conventional approaches. One report notes that Samsung attributes around 40% size reduction, 30% lower thickness and 16% better thermal resistance to its FOWLP implementation. These gains are crucial for a flagship Galaxy S27 chipset, where sustained performance under heavy workloads matters more than short benchmark spikes. Better heat management lets the Exynos 2700 maintain higher clocks for longer, enhancing gaming, AI processing and camera performance. The trade-off, however, is cost: FOWLP remains complex and expensive, which is why its continued use in the Exynos 2700 has been questioned.
Side-by-Side Architecture, HPB and the Role of 2nm Manufacturing
While rumours differ on whether FOWLP stays, both narratives agree that Samsung is investing in sophisticated layout and cooling for the Exynos 2700. The chip is expected to employ a side-by-side (SbS) architecture that places the application processor and DRAM next to each other on the substrate, rather than stacking them. This geometry can simplify heat paths and is complemented by Samsung’s Heat Pass Block (HPB) technology, designed to improve heat transfer away from hotspots. Paired with Samsung’s second-generation 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) process, the Exynos 2700 is positioned as a cutting-edge Samsung 2nm processor rather than a cost-reduced stopgap. In theory, these packaging and process choices should help the Galaxy S27 chipset balance performance with thermal efficiency, a critical requirement as flagship phones push ever higher power densities in slim, sealed designs.
Cost-Cutting Speculation vs. Premium Positioning for Exynos 2700
The original claim that Samsung might abandon FOWLP for the Exynos 2700 was tied to broader cost-cutting, including a reported plan to use BOE OLED panels on the base Galaxy S27. The updated leak disputes the packaging rollback and even hints that the earlier report may have been influenced by internal tensions around profits and labour disputes. Regardless of motivation, the noise highlights a real strategic dilemma: advanced packaging technology such as FOWLP and SbS+HPB can boost thermal efficiency, but they can also erode margins. For now, the latest information suggests that Samsung aims to keep the Exynos 2700 competitive at the highest tier, leveraging its 2nm GAA node and premium packaging rather than stripping features. Still, sources caution that last-minute changes remain possible as the SoC moves toward mass production, leaving some uncertainty around the final configuration.