Samsung’s Galaxy S series has long been a battleground for processor supremacy, with the company toggling between its homegrown Exynos chips and Qualcomm’s Snapdragons. However, a substantial shake-up might be on the horizon for the Galaxy S25. Grappling with production woes for its Exynos chips and faced with potential price hikes from Qualcomm, Samsung appears to be eyeing an unexpected third player: MediaTek.
Traditionally, MediaTek processors have been reserved for Samsung’s mid-range and budget offerings, but rumors suggest that might change soon. An unannounced MediaTek Dimensity processor, possibly the Dimensity 9400, is reportedly in the running to power the next Galaxy S series. Intriguing benchmark leaks earlier this year indicate that the Dimensity 9400 outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, making it a frontrunner in the performance race. The Financial News, a South Korean publication, broke this story, highlighting that the Galaxy S25 might feature not only the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Exynos 2500 but also MediaTek’s promising new chip.
What makes the Dimensity 9400 particularly appealing is its cutting-edge technology. Expected to be based on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm N3E manufacturing process, the chip is speculated to include a new Cortex-X5 prime core clocked at 3.4GHz. This prime core will likely be complemented by three Cortex-X4 performance cores and four Cortex-A720 efficiency cores. This setup promises substantial enhancements in both performance and energy efficiency over the current top-line Dimensity 9300, which already powers models like the Oppo Find X7 and several Vivo devices in the Chinese market.
Samsung’s potential pivot to MediaTek isn’t solely based on performance metrics. The production yields for its Exynos 2500 have just reached the 40% mark, but Samsung needs that figure to hit 60% before mass production becomes feasible. This delay casts doubt on whether the Exynos 2500 can be a reliable option for the Galaxy S25. Simultaneously, Qualcomm’s rumored price hike of 25% to 30% for the next Snapdragon chips further complicates matters. With increased costs and the likelihood of needing larger batteries due to more performance cores, Snapdragons may no longer be the clear-cut choice they once were.
Faced with these challenges, Samsung’s consideration of a Snapdragon-beating MediaTek chip starts to make more sense. It aligns with the company’s need for a reliable, cost-effective, and high-performance processor that can meet the demands of its flagship series. If MediaTek delivers on the promise of the Dimensity 9400, Samsung could be looking at a game-changing move.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is expected to launch in January 2025, and it could mark the beginning of a new era for Samsung’s flagship lineup. With MediaTek potentially joining the fray, consumers might benefit from an unexpected but very welcome boost in performance and efficiency. Only time will tell if this bold strategy pays off, but one thing is certain: the processor wars just got a lot more interesting.
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