The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is almost here, with the official announcement scheduled for January 22nd at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event. Fans are looking forward to the release of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, but big changes are happening behind the scenes that could impact the prices of these highly anticipated smartphones. Rumor has it that all three models will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, moving away from Samsung’s traditional reliance on its own Exynos processors, especially in markets like India.
Why did you change to Qualcomm?
Traditionally, Samsung has used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets in certain regions such as the US, Canada and China, while its own Exynos chipsets have been reserved for other markets such as India. But this time around, Samsung is facing some challenges with its Exynos 2500 chipset. The company has struggled to produce enough viable Exynos chips due to low yields, with only 20% to 30% of chips meeting production standards, the people said. Typically, a 70% yield is expected in mass production, so this shortfall led Samsung to choose Qualcomm’s solution instead.
break! ️
Galaxy S25 (SM-S931B) has appeared on Geekbench.
Equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with 12GB RAM!
Single core: 2986
Multi-core: 9355Snapdragon 8 Elite has been officially confirmed in vanilla model for international markets (India, Europe, etc.).
pic.twitter.com/9ySZFnKxRt — Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) December 31, 2024
Given these production challenges, Samsung has opted to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in all regions, including India. This decision could result in more even overall performance, but the catch is that it could increase the price of the Galaxy S25 series.
How does this affect price?
Switching to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is expected to increase the cost of the Galaxy S25 series. According to reports, Qualcomm is charging around $190 (approximately Rs. 16,300) for each Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. The new chipset comes with significant upgrades, including increased processing power, AI features, and overall efficiency. Additionally, the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be the first product to be produced using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process node, which could further increase production costs.
This price hike is nothing new for Samsung. Previously, when Samsung faced low yields on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s 4nm node, Qualcomm had to shift production to TSMC, resulting in the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 revision. As of Q3 2024, TSMC dominates the contract foundry market with a 64% share, while Samsung Foundry lags behind with just 12%. This dependence on TSMC could be a factor driving up the price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and, by extension, the final price of the Galaxy S25.
The official launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series is just around the corner, and the move to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset could lead to a noticeable price increase. This change promises improved overall performance and a more consistent experience across regions, but consumers should be prepared for potential price increases due to increased production costs for new chipsets. . For 2024, the Galaxy S25 series is shaping up to be a long-awaited launch, but its price will be more expensive.
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