Why is the whole Galaxy S25 sequence powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite?

It in all probability received’t be too shocking to be taught that the Samsung Galaxy S25 sequence — the whole sequence — is powered by Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon this yr — the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, to be actual. Whether or not you’re a US or international shopper shopping for a baseline or Extremely mannequin, there’s no Samsung Exynos chip in sight, although the corporate stays tight-lipped on the precise purpose. The excellent news for us is that this ensures battery, characteristic, and efficiency parity throughout the sector, however for Samsung, it appears like one other chipset setback.

Anybody accustomed to the long-running Samsung Exynos versus Qualcomm Snapdragon saga will know that the race is usually shut and different occasions not a lot, however lately, Qualcomm has steadily been gaining the higher hand. Way back to 2022, each the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 contained in the Galaxy S22 ran overly sizzling, owing to yield issues at Samsung Foundries and its 4nm node, ensuing within the GOS throttling controversy. Qualcomm addressed this difficulty by switching to TSMC for an 8 Plus Gen 1 refresh, the 8 Gen 2, and all of its subsequent chips, however Samsung remained trapped with its underperforming node. Consequently, the Galaxy S23 sequence went all in on Snapdragon for the primary time, whereas Samsung claimed it was “reorganizing” its chip enterprise mannequin.

Samsung appeared to have at the very least partially recovered with the Galaxy S24, which returned to an Exynos and Snapdragon regional break up. That’s, aside from the Extremely mannequin, which featured the 8 Gen 3 completely in all areas. Rumors continued that Exynos yields have been nonetheless not good, and choosing Qualcomm in its most premium of premium handsets is a tacit admission that both the efficiency differential was too nice or that Samsung couldn’t make sufficient appropriate 4nm chips. Even right now, rumors abound that Samsung requested TSMC to fabricate its newest Exynos however was declined, seemingly because of conflicts of curiosity.

Even because the hole re-narrowed final yr, Qualcomm veered down a street Samsung couldn’t observe with this yr’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and its in-house Oryon/Phoenix CPU cores. A return to customized Arm CPU improvement marked a big shift for Qualcomm and the Android ecosystem, which lastly ranges the enjoying discipline and even exceeds the efficiency of Apple’s customized Arm-based CPUs. If Samsung desires to hold with the perfect, the 8 Elite is de facto the one recreation presently on the town.

The Oryon-derived Pheonix L and M cores within the 8 Elite not solely present efficiency in extra of Arm’s off-the-shelf Cortex-X and Cortex-A options utilized by Samsung, Google, MediaTek, and so forth, however have additionally resulted in a notable profit to vitality effectivity and, due to this fact, battery life, within the handsets we’ve examined up to now. Qualcomm’s newest Adreno structure additionally throws huge quantities of GPU energy into the combo, together with its traditional assortment of AI, networking, and different enhancements.

These with a protracted reminiscence will keep in mind that Samsung additionally had its personal customized Arm CPU cores within the type of Mongoose. This effort ran from 2016 and was retired with 2020’s Mongoose M5 after producing a string of middling outcomes, notably concerning vitality effectivity. At the moment, Samsung has no customized CPU efforts to method efficiency or effectivity parity with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon. Arm’s newest CPU and GPU cores actually aren’t sluggish; they run splendidly in MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400, as an illustration. Nonetheless, Samsung’s conundrum is that it, ideally, must duck the unhealthy press from any significant hole between would-be Exynos and Snapdragon variations of its handsets.

Even when it was viable from a producing standpoint (we all know the Exynos 2500 exists; it’s extra a query of how good the yield is), choosing Exynos this technology would have resulted in a a lot wider discrepancy of capabilities throughout its Galaxy S25 line-up than in earlier years, which it’s been eager to keep away from as a lot as attainable previously. That mentioned, Samsung may nonetheless have opted for the dual-chip technique if its 3nm manufacturing setup had been issue-free; we simply don’t know. In any case, Samsung has in all probability picked the most suitable choice general, however we’ll should be ready to pay the “Snapdragon tax” for this additional efficiency — the 8 Elite doesn’t come low cost.

Though Snapdragon might have taken the crown for yet one more Galaxy technology, the battle with Exynos actually isn’t over. In a latest earnings name, Samsung recommitted to its customized silicon improvement efforts, noting that it’s concentrating on supplying chips for “flagship merchandise” this yr whereas making ready its next-generation chips based mostly on a future 2nm node. Likewise, rumors recommend its present 3nm setup may lastly be in a greater state, simply in time to ramp up Exynos 2500 manufacturing in time for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 later this yr.

Nonetheless, this presents Samsung with the identical dual- or single-chip technique conundrum for foldables. Does it try and sustain with what’ll virtually actually be the superior Snapdragon 8 Elite and hope worldwide markets received’t thoughts, or just plump for one over the opposite? Rumors recommend Samsung is eager to make use of its in-house chip in at the very least some fashions. Maybe Exynos for the extra mainstream Flip and Snapdragon for the power-user-oriented and dearer Fold makes essentially the most sense, however Samsung decision-makers may really feel in a different way, I suppose.

If Samsung is consigned to silver within the efficiency metrics, at the very least in the meanwhile, Exynos ought to nonetheless have a future within the Galaxy FE line-up, on the very least. The marginally trimmed-down Exynos 2400e within the Galaxy S24 FE performs admirably for heavy workloads and gaming, and is a key consider retaining the worth a really cheap $650. Samsung can be reportedly making ready a Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, one other extra inexpensive mannequin that may be prime for one more e-variant of Samsung’s flagship Exynos chipsets.

I’m repeating myself these days, however we’re long gone the purpose of absolute top-tier efficiency being all that essential for an excellent smartphone. If something, the sky-high costs are making ultra-premium chips and telephones more durable to justify for a lot of. Exynos doesn’t should prime the benchmarks to energy telephones that individuals, myself included, will wish to purchase. Pixels handle simply wonderful with Tensor, in spite of everything. If Samsung can efficiently navigate this troubled manufacturing and improvement interval with a focused chipset technique, it might remerge with a real Snapdragon challenger within the coming years. Though that’s a tall order as issues presently stand.