Home
News
You are here

Tipster says all Galaxy S21 (S30) variants will come with an Exynos chip

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Sep 18, 2020, 3:58 AM

13comments

Tipster says all Galaxy S21 (S30) variants will come with an Exynos chip

So far, we have been hearing mixed reports about the price of Qualcomm's upcoming flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 875. First, it was reported that it would cost $250 or about $100 more than the Snapdragon 865. Because of the presumed price increase, the Samsung Galaxy S21 (S30) was expected to stick with the Snapdragon 865. After all, the high prices of the current Galaxy S series phones are said to be hurting sales and we are hearing the Galaxy Note 20 will also start at $999.

Later on, it emerged that Qualcomm probably wouldn't hike the price that much, given the pandemic-induced economic turmoil. In contrast to the 7nm Snapdragon 865, the Snapdragon 875 will likely be made on the 5nm process, and this would improve performance and power efficiency. It will also supposedly come with an integrated 5G modem. Since these are significant upgrades, Qualcomm has grounds for increasing the price.

Does the Galaxy S21 (S30) really need the Snapdragon 875?

The supposed good news is that the Snapdragon 875 will not cost $250. The bad news is that, at $220, it will still be a lot more expensive than its predecessor.

Well-known Samsung insider claims the Snapdragon 875 will be priced at $220

It seems like the rumors about the Galaxy S21 (S30) retaining the Snapdragon 865 have substance. Per a leak, the plan is to reduce the starting price a bit to attract more customers. The Snapdragon 875 is deemed to be overkill anyway as current high-end chips are said to be good enough for the majority of people.

by "Exynos 1000 looks better"
i meant it will compete with an older chip
by "SD875 is overkill" i meant, most ppl wont use/need the extra performance, or think* they do
these are points being made on a debate, by employees
but yeah, 140 characters on tweets..
— Mauri QHD (@MauriQHD) June 27, 2020

A catch-22 situation for Samsung

According to another tip, all Galaxy S21 (S30) variants will use the upcoming Exynos 1000 silicon. Contrary to a previous rumor, it doesn't look like the unannounced chip has surpassed the Snapdragon 865. And given the negative press the Exynos 990 got, using an in-house chip for all Galaxy S21 (S30) models does not seem like a good idea.

I can confirm that Samsung won't use Snapdragon 865 again for their S21, instead I heard that Samsung could use Exynos 1000 for all S21 varrient (US, China included) https://t.co/XN99kJMRVe
— Your favourite Chun is back (@Boby25846908) July 7, 2020

Like the Snapdragon 875, the Exynos 1000 will seemingly be a 5nm chip too and it is also expected to come with an AMD GPU.

So, while it's certainly possible that the Exynos 1000 will match the Snapdragon 875, the Exynos 990 fiasco could prevent most consumers from taking a chance.

On the other hand, if Samsung goes with the Snapdragon 875, it may result in an increase in price and alienate even the most loyal of customers.

View Full Bio

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.