Samsung's next flagship smartphones in the Galaxy S25 series may globally adopt the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This decision stems from Samsung's reported challenges with their own 3nm Exynos 2500, leading them to rely on Qualcomm for processors. In 2023, Samsung departed from its usual practice by using Qualcomm chips across the Galaxy S23 series worldwide.
Contrarily, last year's Galaxy S24 series saw only 40% of models equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with the remainder featuring Samsung's Exynos 2400 in Asian markets, including Malaysia. Despite ongoing hurdles, Samsung continues to refine its Exynos 2500 to enhance production yields. Positioned as a strong contender, the Exynos 2500 aims to bolster Samsung's competitiveness, underscoring the company's commitment to its development efforts.
Kuo's forecast aligns with Samsung's cost-conscious strategies, as seen with their adoption of MediaTek's Dimensity 9300+ in the Galaxy Tab S10+ (model SM-X828U), verified through Geekbench listings. This approach coincides with reports of Samsung's intent to utilize Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC in both the Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6.
This strategy diverges from Qualcomm's higher pricing for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, expected to be 25-30% more expensive than its predecessor. Consequently, Qualcomm and its chip manufacturer, TSMC, stand to gain from increased orders for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
While the Galaxy S25 series is slated for release in about six months, the landscape remains subject to change. Presently, however, the prospect of Samsung exclusively adopting Qualcomm processors for the Galaxy S25 series appears promising.
