The Galaxy S25 series is just a few months away, and Samsung is likely to have already decided on most of the tech specs and key components it will use. However, reports suggest that the company is still undecided about which chip to use. An earlier leak claimed that Samsung would use the Exynos 2500 chip for the Galaxy S25 until the last minute. In line with this, a tipster says that the brand is still testing the SoC for its upcoming flagship mobile devices.
Samsung still hasn’t lost faith in its Exynos 2500 chip for the Galaxy S25 series
According to Sawyer Galox on X, Samsung has not yet lost faith in the Exynos 2500. The South Korean giant is still testing the hardware, hoping to implement it in the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite/Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 globally.
The reason Samsung is being so insistent on using its own Exynos hardware is purely financial. Using a proprietary SoC reduces the production costs of mobile devices compared to using hardware from third-party vendors. Additionally, reports suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is significantly more costly than its predecessor. Qualcomm’s chips have been rising in price for years, increasing phone prices.
That said, Samsung Foundry is facing severe yield rate issues with its 3nm GAA wafers. Only about 25–30 chips out of every 100 produced are considered usable. This figure is extremely low for potential implementation in devices that could sell tens of millions of units. However, given the context of the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s price, it is normal that Samsung Foundry is working against the clock to try to improve the efficiency of its wafers.
Samsung will make the decision soon
Samsung is expected to make a decision on which chip to use in late October or early November. After all, it can’t take much longer, as the Galaxy S25 series is due to arrive in January 2025. It makes sense for the company to continue testing the Exynos 2500’s performance in preparation for a potential implementation in the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. However, industry experts believe that Samsung Foundry’s current low yield rate is a major hurdle to overcome.
On paper, the Exynos 2500 is a flagship SoC capable of competing against its direct rivals. However, a poor manufacturing process can completely ruin good hardware. Samsung has already experienced this; it fabricated the poorly performing Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Let’s hope that the company’s final decision doesn’t result in problematic hardware for consumers.