MediaTek’s Dimensity Chips Eyeing Samsung’s Flagship Galaxy S25
Previous reports indicated that Samsung might exclusively use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for the Galaxy S25 series. This decision stems from the fact that the planned Exynos 2500 has underperformed in terms of yield rates, with persistent significant issues potentially forcing Samsung to abandon it. Rumor has it that the Exynos 2500 employs Samsung’s second-generation 3nm process technology, known as SF3, with a reported yield rate of only 20%. Samsung aims to increase this yield to the 60% mass production standard by October this year.
According to Wccftech, the Galaxy S25 series is being tested with MediaTek’s SoC, although it is unclear which specific model, possibly the Dimensity 9400. Recent rumors suggest that Samsung may equip the Galaxy Tab S10 series with the Dimensity 9300+, indicating that switching to MediaTek’s solution is feasible. Similar to the situation with their tablets, Samsung may be seeking alternatives due to Qualcomm’s pricing.
Initially, Samsung planned to maintain a dual-platform strategy for the Galaxy S25 series, offering both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and the Exynos 2500. However, the underperformance of their own SoC has made this difficult. While Samsung could opt to use Qualcomm’s solutions entirely, the rising prices of Snapdragon flagship SoCs make it increasingly challenging for Samsung to control the profit margins of high-end smartphones. Qualcomm has hinted that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be more expensive than its predecessor, which means that if Samsung uses Qualcomm chips across the board, it will either have to compromise on other specifications or raise the prices of new products to maintain profitability.
Although both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and the Dimensity 9400 are likely to use the same semiconductor process, namely TSMC’s N3E, there is mounting evidence that MediaTek offers a lower price than Qualcomm. For MediaTek, this represents a rare opportunity to prove that its high-end SoCs can rival those of Qualcomm. MediaTek may also offer additional discounts to establish a long-term partnership with Samsung.
