The Galaxy S25 may not use Snapdragon globally if Samsung’s efforts pay off

It was recently reported that Qualcomm may be the sole chipset supplier for the Galaxy S25 series scheduled for release next year. This means that all three Galaxy S25 models will get the next-gen chipset, ostensibly called Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, globally. There will be no variants with the rumored Exynos 2500 chipset.

This prospect has already excited a lot of fans, with some not happy with Samsung’s decision to bring Exynos back into the mix with this year’s Galaxy S24 series, since using only Snapdragon with last year’s Galaxy S23 lineup produced great results. However, it seems that Samsung is trying hard to ensure that the Exynos 2500 is used in some versions of the 2025 flagship phone.

Samsung is trying hard to increase the productivity of the Exynos 2500

according to a report From South Korea, the reason why Snapdragon can be used in the Galaxy S25 series is because the productivity of the Exynos 2500 is very low. Returns had previously been in the single-digit range which was not ideal. However, Samsung reportedly managed to make improvements to the process which helped raise the yield to 20%.

Although this is a significant improvement, it is still not enough. The report adds that productivity must be at least 60% for the chip to enter the mass production stage. Samsung needs to realistically achieve this by the third quarter of this year so that the chips can make it into the Galaxy S25 units that will be released in the first quarter of 2025. It remains to be seen whether that will happen or not.

Details about the Exynos 2500 are limited at this time. Some rumors have claimed that it could match or even surpass the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in power efficiency since it is manufactured using Samsung’s second-generation 3nm process. However, low yields still pose a risk that mass production may not be a viable proposition if the minimum yield is not met in a timely manner.