Informative Exynos Returns: Samsung's Galaxy S25+ Benchmarked with a Non-Snapdragon Chip

2024-12-07

Samsung’s Galaxy S series has long been a battleground for chip supremacy, with the company often juggling its in-house Exynos chips and Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon SoCs. Despite persistent rumors of a full-scale Snapdragon takeover for the Galaxy S25 series, recent benchmarks suggest that Exynos may still have a role to play.

A recent Geekbench listing has revealed the presence of an Exynos-powered Galaxy S25+. This development comes as a surprise, as many had anticipated that Samsung would opt for a unified Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset across all Galaxy S25 models.

While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips are undoubtedly powerful, they also come at a premium. This cost factor could be influencing Samsung’s decision to continue using Exynos for certain models. The Exynos 2500 chipset, as seen in the benchmark, is expected to be significantly less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with performance deficits ranging from 20% to 40%.

While Samsung may optimize the Exynos 2500 through software updates, time constraints associated with the early January launch window may limit the extent of these improvements.

What Undercode Says:

The appearance of an Exynos-powered Galaxy S25+ is a stark reminder of the complex dynamics at play in the smartphone chipset market. Samsung’s reliance on both Exynos and Snapdragon highlights the challenges of balancing performance, cost, and supply chain considerations.

The performance gap between the Exynos 2500 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite is significant and could impact the overall user experience of the Galaxy S25+. While Samsung has a history of optimizing its Exynos chips through software updates, the limited timeframe before the launch may hinder their ability to fully bridge the performance gap.

It’s important to note that this is just a single benchmark, and real-world performance may vary. However, it does provide a glimpse into the potential performance disparity between the two chipsets.

Ultimately, the decision to use Exynos for certain Galaxy S25 models could be a strategic move by Samsung to maintain control over its supply chain and reduce reliance on a single supplier. However, it also raises questions about the company’s commitment to delivering top-tier performance across its entire flagship lineup.