Samsung reportedly testing Galaxy S25 series with MediaTek SoC

Samsung Galaxy S23 series sold around the world features Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That was a turn of events because the company used to sell its flagship phones with Exynos chips in some regions. We did see the usual Exynos variants making their return with the Galaxy S24 series, though (512 GB S24 Ultra curr. $1,348 on Amazon).

Now, it seems that the upcoming Galaxy S25 lineup won't be featuring any Exynos smartphones again. It's reportedly due to Samsung not being able to address the low yields of its foundry, making the rumored Exynos 2500 chip less viable for commercial phones now.

But that hasn't seemingly stopped Samsung from adopting a dual-chipset launch strategy. According to a Korean news outlet named FNN, the company is testing the Galaxy S25 devices with a MediaTek chipset. The report didn't say which SoC it is, but it could be Dimensity 9400.

If this stands true, it will be the first time we see Samsung using MediaTek SoC in its flagship phones. If you're wondering what possibly could be making the company ditch the dual-chipset launch for the Galaxy S25 series, it's likely due to the rising cost of Qualcomm chips.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is already reported to be more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and that chip was reported to cost $190 to $200 per unit, which is already expensive. Ming-Chi Kuo, a reputable analyst at TF International Securities, previously reported that the new chip would cost 25% to 30% higher.

MediaTek's Dimensity chips, on the other hand, are known for being more affordable than Qualcomm's flagships. Also, the upcoming Dimensity 9400 will reportedly use the same process as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, TSMC's 3nm N3E. This could make both the SoCs offer similar performance.

Still, these are all rumors, and nothing is written in stone until Samsung announces the Galaxy S25 series. So, you should take these with a generous amount of salt.