With a few weeks to go until Samsung unveils the Galaxy S25 series, word on the street is that the Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU will power all three versions. That’s Qualcomm’s newest flagship chip for premium Android devices, which has already impressed in performance and battery life tests.
Some leakers said Samsung would go for the Elite earlier this fall. Since then, we have seen reports that Samsung might switch to Exynos 2500 chips for some Galaxy S25 variants. That wouldn’t be surprising, considering Samsung did the same with the Galaxy S24 series last year and other past Galaxy S versions.
Fast-forward to mid-December and reports say that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is the only choice for Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones. The chip will be more expensive, however. Samsung might increase the price of all Galaxy S25 models in some markets.
That said, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Flip FE foldables might skip the Snapdragon 8 Elite in favor of the Exynos 2500. Apparently, Samsung is catching up, and yields are improving for the chip.
According to Korean news site Chosun, an unidentified high-ranking Samsung official confirmed reports that Samsung had been dealing with Exynos 2500 yield issues. However, the problems have been fixed, and the production of the second-gen 3nm process is now stable.
Samsung is moving forward to mass production, but it won’t be able to manufacture the Exynos 2500 chips it needs to satisfy Galaxy S25 demand. The official said Samsung will be able to use the Exynos 2500 in the next Galaxy Z Flip premium model.
That language indicates that the Exynos 2500 would serve the Galaxy Z Flip 7, the expected next-gen Flip premium phone. But it also implies that a more affordable Galaxy Z Flip FE might be in the works. Other reports said that Samsung will introduce an affordable Flip phone next year.
Also interesting is the absence of the Fold 7 from those remarks. Samsung will also launch a premium Fold-type phone this year. Only two chip choices exist for the handset: The Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Exynos 2500.
Chosun also noted that Samsung had two problems. One was the now-fixed yields, and the other concerned performance. The Exynos 2500 was reportedly far behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. That’s actually a reason to worry if you’re eying the Flip 7 as your next phone.
I’ll also remind you of unofficial Galaxy S25 benchmark tests that showed the Exynos 2500 was trailing behind the Elite when it comes to overall performance.
Samsung doesn’t have a great track record at matching what Qualcomm can do when it comes to flagship chips. And forget about Apple’s A-series processors that power the iPhones. The Galaxy S22 is infamous for the poor capabilities of the Exynos 2200 version.
Back then, Samsung vowed to fix its chip problems and partnered with Qualcomm to develop premium chips for the Galaxy S and Z lines.
That said, the Galaxy S24’s Exynos 2400 chip wasn’t a concern for international buyers. One would hope the Exynos 2500 will be able to match at least the efficiencies of the Snapdragon 8 Elite if not its top performance.
Again, the battery life of the first Snapdragon 8 Elite phones already impressed in tests, several weeks before the Galaxy S25 launch event. I’m sure many Samsung fans can’t wait to see what the Elite does for the Galaxy S25’s battery life.
Meanwhile, US Galaxy S24 buyers got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 version. Also, Samsung used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for all the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6 models it sold this year. Those chips are expensive, and the Elite will reportedly come at a premium over the Snapdragon 8 Gen. 3. Those costs will be passed on to the consumer.
The Exynos 2500 might help Samsung save money when manufacturing the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Flip SE. That’s one reason to root for the Exynos 2500 right now.
