Samsung opens up and talks about the new Exynos 1280 chipset

Over the years, smartphone OEMs like Samsung changed their approach to launching new phones. They began focusing less on the raw hardware specifications at launch but highlighted the software, cameras, and other characteristics. Launch events nowadays emphasize the user experience and rarely go down to the nitty-gritty of how smartphones work at a raw hardware level.

So, when Samsung introduced the Galaxy A53 and A33, the mystery around the Exynos 1280 chipset didn't shock anyone. However, Samsung recently opened up on its Semiconductor portal and finally talked about the Exynos 1280 in detail.

This is the Exynos 1280 SoC powering Samsung's mid-range Galaxy phones

Samsung's 5nm (EUV) Exynos 1280 SoC boasts an AI neural processing unit (NPU) capable of running up to 4.3 trillion operations per second (TOPS). It has eight CPU cores (ARM Cortex A78 + Cortex A55) and a Mali-G68 graphics chip.

The chip offers support for Full HD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. In terms of cameras, it can enable 4K video recording at 30fps and supports resolutions of up to 108MP.

Neither the Galaxy A53 nor the Galaxy A33 has a 108MP camera. Nevertheless, both phones max out the number of cameras supported by the Exynos 1280 ISP (Image Signal Processor) and ship with quad-camera systems.

As for connectivity, the Exynos 1280 supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO (2.4/5G), 5G NR (Sub-6GHz), 5G NR mmWave, LTE Cat.18, Bluetooth 5.2, and FM Radio Rx.

So far, Samsung has used the Exynos 1280 SoC for a few models across the Galaxy A and Galaxy M mid-range smartphone lineups. The list also includes the Galaxy M33 5G.

The Exynos 1280 chipset is quite capable, but some apps and mobile games, in particular, have yet to be optimized to maximize the silicon's potential. Be cautious if you're planning on playing demanding mobile games on your Exynos 1280 smartphone. More details here, where we've used the Galaxy A53 as our benchmark.

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Mihai Matei - Senior Editor

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First Samsung device: SGH-A800

Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.

General Phone Exynos 1280 Galaxy A33 Galaxy A33 5G Galaxy A53 Galaxy A53 5G