Samsung has put Galaxy S series fans on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster over the past few years. The high-end Exynos chipset's struggles against its Qualcomm counterpart from are well documented.
So once Samsung made the decision to go Snapdragon-only for the Galaxy S23 series, fans were understandably excited. Everyone, everywhere, got the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ or Galaxy S23 Ultra. Previously, only a select few markets got the Snapdragon variants.
Galaxy S23 teased a Snapdragon-only future that didn't materialize
This decision contributed to the Galaxy S23's great performance in the market. Customers were happy that they would no longer get the short end of the stick when it came to peak performance and battery longevity, areas where Qualcomm chipsets have historically outperformed their Exynos rivals. (It merits mentioning here that Samsung only retained this split on the Galaxy S series. Samsung's Galaxy Z lineup of foldable phones have never featured Exynos chips.)
After the Galaxy S23, fans could be forgiven for assuming that the era of Snapdragon-only Galaxy S flagships was upon us and that there won't be a return to the way things were done before. Alas, that was not to be. Samsung switched things up the very next year and introduced a spin on that split with the Galaxy S24 series.
The base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ came with the Exynos 2400 chipset in most countries; Samsung reserved the Snapdragon exclusivity for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The return of Exynos to the Galaxy S lineup sparked concern amongst some that this is how things might be once more.
Retaining its rather mercurial approach to picking chipsets, the latest rumor suggests that Samsung is going Snapdragon-only for next year's Galaxy S25 series. That's despite the fact that a lot has been said about the new Exynos 2500 and its possible role in the Galaxy S25 lineup, which is undoubtedly going to be heavy on the AI flavor, given how the industry is moving right now.
Samsung could ditch Exynos again, possibly thanks to AI
Perhaps Samsung isn't as confident in the Exynos 2500's AI processing capabilities. The rumor claims that one of the reasons behind the decision to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 globally for the Galaxy S25 series is because it provides an up to 30% improvement in AI and GPU performance.
Since all of its major rivals are focusing on AI, and Apple in particular is making some serious moves in this space, Samsung wants users to be able to extract the best possible AI experience for its devices, and it needs a chipset that can keep up with that demand.
Having heard what Qualcomm has been up to with respect to AI processing at its Snapdragon Summit last year, and how it intends to go from strength to strength in this critical area with new chipsets, its hardly surprising that Samsung has seen the light and decided to be practical in its approach to the Galaxy S25 series, as that would be crucial to the device's success in the market.
Granted, there are business reasons for Samsung to have two different chipset suppliers. Relying on just Qualcomm would reduce Samsung's ability to get a lower price on what's arguably a smartphone's most expensive components. Having Exynos in the mix ensures that Samsung's mobile division can get favorable pricing not just from Qualcomm but from Samsung LSI, the division that makes these chips, as well.
Time for Samsung to make the final call on Snapdragon-Exynos choice
All that is beyond the average customer's comprehension, though. They're not concerned with the intricacies of dual-sourcing or the pricing mechanism of semiconductors. They just want the best possible user experience out of their device and uniformity in its hardware. They don't care that Samsung sacrifices consistency in its chipset selections at the alter of supply chain efficiency.
It's not a great look for the Galaxy S series that it goes through such significant changes every couple of years. That every couple of years Exynos users flood the online forums with complaints as they feel shortchanged because the Snapdragon variants are superior in one way or another.
Is it time now, though, for Samsung to decide once and for all what direction it's taking for future Galaxy S models? If AI and GPU processing is critical to the success of future lineups and Qualcomm possesses a clear advantage, why put the fans through an emotional rollercoaster every year? A little consistency never hurt anybody after all.
