Galaxy S25 could use Qualcomm's revamped processor with Nuvia cores

Galaxy S25 could use 3nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip in some units, featuring Nuvia CPU cores

Some interesting information about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip has now come to light. It is being reported that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be launched before the end of 2024, and it will use Qualcomm's Nuvia CPU cores. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is rumored to feature two Phoenix high-performance CPU cores and four Phoenix power-efficient CPU cores. The chip will reportedly be made by TSMC using its 3nm (N3E) fabrication process. This is terrible news for Samsung Foundry (Samsung Electronics' semiconductor chip manufacturing division), though, as Qualcomm might not use its most advanced 3nm GAP process but instead its rival TSMC.

If you remember, all Snapdragon chips currently use CPU cores based on ARM's stock Cortex architecture. In the future, though, Qualcomm is expected to switch to in-house Nuvia CPU cores that are expected to bring performance similar to Apple's A-series and M-series chips.

Nuvia was started by a group of ex-Apple and ex-Google engineers. The company's designers previously worked on some groundbreaking chips, including Apple's A-series used in iPhones and iPads. Nuvia was acquired by Qualcomm in early 2021 for $1.4 billion and intended to bring processors based on Nuvia designs to servers and PCs. However, ARM sued Qualcomm and Nuvia for breaching license agreements and trademark violations. It claimed Nuvia chips are based on ARM's technologies, and those licenses couldn't be transferred to Qualcomm.

Some Galaxy S25 units could use a completely revamped Exynos ‘dream' chip

Samsung is also said to be working on a new in-house processor. Whether or not it will be named Exynos remains to be seen. However, it is said to be developed from the ground up to suit Samsung's flagship phones, and it is expected to offer breakthrough performance and power efficiency. It is also said to feature a more powerful AMD GPU. Some Galaxy S25 units could use this new in-house Samsung processor.