Samsung S-series smartphones are powered by different chips depending on where you buy them: models sold in North America, Taiwan, and China are underpinned by Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, and variants sold elsewhere feature in-house Exynos chips. The South Korean giant will reportedly retain this dual-chip strategy this year for the Galaxy S25 but Exynos will be left out of the equation.
Confidence in Exynos shaken again
Samsung's premium phones feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. | Image Credit - PhoneArena
Historically, Exynos chips have been perceived to be a step below Snapdragon chips and Samsung silently acknowledged this by only producing Snapdragon 8 Gen-3 powered versions of its premium phones such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 6.
That's not to say that Exynos chips are woefully behind Snapdragon chipsets. In fact, there have hardly been any complaints regarding the Exynos 2400 which fuels the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus.
This is a huge improvement over two years ago when criticism of the Exynos 2200 forced Samsung to not release any Exynos-powered S series model at all in 2023.
Rumors say that due to a low yield rate, which is the percentage of functional chips made during the manufacturing process, the Exynos 2500 will not be seen in any Galaxy S25 model. While this is likely a production-related issue, there's a small likelihood that problems in the chip's design led to poor yield.
Either way, it's another hit to Exynos' image.
Are MediaTek chips any better?
Taiwanese company MediaTek might not be a household name, but an increasing number of smartphones, both in the US and the rest of the world, feature chips made by the company.
Up until a few years ago, MediaTek chips were only found in low-cost phones and were criticised for their laggy performance and weak graphics.
The company turned a new leaf in 2020 with the introduction of the Dimensity brand for high-end 5G smartphones. Dimensity chips deliver performance on par with premium Qualcomm chips and while there may be an odd problem here and there with heat management, there is nothing lacking in them that should exclude them from being used in high-end phones.
Samsung wouldn't want to move the S series brand downmarket
It's 2024. There are no bad phones. Unless you are a techie or too tied into a particular ecosystem, you will not find anything to complain about in most smartphones.
The Galaxy S series is an upmarket family of phones. It's in a different league than Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Vivo whose claims to fame is providing a good balance of specs and price.
A flagship phone is a status symbol. Like it or not, we live in a world where people value things that not everyone can have. That's why, a MediaTek Dimensity 9400-powered phone may not be as well-regarded as a handset fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
If Samsung equips all Galaxy S24 models with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the price is guaranteed to go up and this could alienate buyers. The company's latest foldables are exclusively powered by Snapdragon chips and are more expensive than their predecessors. This is one of the reasons why they aren't selling as well as their predecessors.
Samsung is in a good place right now. The Galaxy S23 sold well and the Galaxy S24 is doing even better. Rocking the boat with a price increase doesn't sound like a good idea.
Samsung just can't make a good choice. If it opts for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, it will have to raise prices. If it settles for a MediaTek chip, it risks harming the brand image. It will be interesting to see how the company handles this problem.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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