Samsung has officially confirmed that it is developing its next-generation Exynos 2500 chipset, utilizing an advanced 3nm process.
The confirmation came during the company’s recent earnings call, where they emphasized the System LSI division’s dedication to maintaining a steady supply of this flagship chip for future high-end devices.
Galaxy S25 Series to Feature Exynos 2500
The forthcoming Galaxy S25 series is expected to be the main recipient of the Exynos 2500. Following the success of its initial 3nm chip, the Exynos W1000, Samsung is optimistic that the Exynos 2500 will offer outstanding performance and efficiency due to its second-generation GAA process.
While specific details about the Exynos 2500’s architecture are still under wraps, early reports indicate a potent 10-core CPU configuration and a high-performance GPU based on AMD’s RDNA3 architecture. Samsung is also said to be focusing on significantly enhancing the chip’s energy efficiency to compete directly with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series.
Aiming for Market Leadership
With the Exynos 2500, Samsung seems determined to re-establish itself as a leading chipset manufacturer. If the company can fulfill its promises of enhanced performance, efficiency, and overall user experience, the Exynos 2500 could be a pivotal moment for Samsung’s mobile division. As the Galaxy S25 launch approaches, more details about the Exynos 2500 are anticipated.
Financial Performance and Future Plans
In the meantime, Samsung reported strong revenue of 74.07 trillion KRW ($53.45 billion), fueled by strong sales in memory and OLED displays. The company plans to expand its AI server memory products and continue investing in sustainability and innovation.
According to some previous rumors, Samsung has achieved success with its 3nm process nodes and the development of its 2nm process nodes is also progressing smoothly.
However, a recent report from Businesskorea indicates that Samsung Foundry’s 3nm process remains significantly inferior to TSMC’s, both in yield rate and power efficiency. For those unfamiliar, higher yield rates mean more functional chips per wafer, lowering the cost per chip and increasing profitability.
Industry Preferences
As a result, it is expected that most fabless manufacturers including NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple will continue to rely on TSMC for their 3nm chips. It has also been reported that Google will switch to TSMC for its 2025 flagship chipset Tensor G5. Notably, the Tensor G4, which will power the upcoming Pixel 9 series, will still be manufactured by Samsung Foundry and will be based on an updated 4nm process.
Production Challenges
Samsung talked about the mass production of their 3nm chips 3 years ago. Back in June 2022, Samsung Foundry was the first in the industry to apply the 3nm gate-all-around (GAA) process to mass production. However, due to the limitations, the company is still struggling to secure customers for the end product. The first generation 3nm process node (SF3E) has performed below the company’s expectations when it comes to performance and power efficiency. It has reportedly been adopted by some niche scenarios like chips for cryptocurrency mining. However, a widespread adoption will still require more improvements in power efficiency and yield rates.
Yield Rate Issues
The relatively lower yield rates and power efficiency of Samsung Foundry’s process nodes have long been problematic and are considered the main reasons for the performance gap between Snapdragon (those that are fabricated by TSMC) and Exynos-powered Galaxy devices.
According to a previous report, Qualcomm is considering a dual-sourcing strategy by partnering with Samsung Foundry alongside TSMC. While this is aimed at securing the company’s business by not relying on a single manufacturer, the company’s CEO mentioned “the current focus must be on the foundry production at TSMC.”
Qualcomm is gearing up for its annual Snapdragon Summit, slated for late October 2024. As always, the event will highlight the next-generation flagship processor – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
The 8 Gen 4 represents more than just a typical incremental upgrade for Qualcomm’s flagship SoCs. The company is completely redesigning this chip, including its fundamental architecture. So, what can we expect from the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4? Here’s a summary of the details we’ve gathered so far on what Qualcomm has in store for its next-gen mobile SoC.
Oryon Cores for Mobile SoC
One of the major changes in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is the shift from Cortex to Qualcomm’s self-developed Oryon CPU cores. These Oryon cores are the same ones used in the company’s latest Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus PC chips. However, it’s unlikely the current computing-focused Oryon cores will be used in mobile devices. Instead, a scaled-down version of these Oryon cores will likely be featured, though it’s unclear how much Qualcomm will cut down the design.
Core Architecture
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be built on a 3nm process using TSMC’s N3E node. Compared to the 4nm process of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the 3nm node allows for more transistors in the same chip area, resulting in better performance and efficiency. The smaller transistors should, in theory, consume less power when performing the same tasks compared to the 4nm process. However, these advancements will likely come at a cost. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a 25-30% price increase for the 8 Gen 4 compared to its predecessor, which means phones powered by the new SoCs will also be more expensive.
Beyond the changes in architecture and node, the core structure of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is also expected to change. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used a 1+3+4 cluster design, featuring one high-performance core, three mid-range cores, and four efficiency cores. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to switch to a 2+6 design, eliminating the efficiency cores altogether. It will reportedly feature two high-performance Oryon cores clocked at 4.26 GHz, along with six Cortex-A725 cores at 2.8 GHz. MediaTek first adopted this approach of not including efficiency cores with its Dimensity 9300 last year, and Qualcomm appears to be following suit.
GPU
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to feature a new Adreno GPU, possibly the Adreno 830. While details about this graphical unit are scarce, it is expected to use a new Slice GPU architecture and new technology to improve “GPU utilization,” which will deliver overall better performance.
Early Benchmarks
What do these changes bring in terms of actual performance? The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s primary competitor will likely be Apple’s A-series chip, expected to power the iPhone 16. Early leaks suggest the 8 Gen 4 might match the A18 in single-core performance and potentially surpass it in multi-core tasks. It reportedly achieved around 3000 for single-core and 10,000 for multi-core performance, easily surpassing the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra scores. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 has also been reported running AnTuTu, where it scored 1,769,083 points. This score is lower than expected for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 but that could possibly be due to optimization issues.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Phones
Early reports suggest that the Xiaomi 15 series will likely be the first smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor. This comes as no surprise, given Xiaomi’s track record of adopting Qualcomm’s latest flagship SoCs. Following Xiaomi, the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13 series are expected to follow suit. Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is also reportedly working on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phone, likely from the Redmi K80 series. Moreover, it’s likely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Sony Xperia 1 VII will also adopt the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, following in the footsteps of their predecessors which use the current-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Conclusion
Qualcomm is introducing several new features with the 8 Gen 4, including completely new Oryon CPU cores, an architecture without efficiency cores, and TSMC’s advanced 3nm node process. These advancements are expected to improve the performance of flagship phones in 2025. However, consumers will have to wait for independent reviews and real-world testing before making a final judgment on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Whether it delivers a true leap forward or becomes a power-hungry powerhouse disguised in a bulky chassis remains to be seen.
Rumors have been swirling about Samsung’s next high-end chipset, the Exynos 2500. A recent report indicates that this processor might surpass Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in terms of energy efficiency.
Earlier this month, Samsung and Synopsys revealed in a joint press release that they had successfully mass-produced a prototype using their 3nm process design.
Possible Use of 3nm Design
Speculations have been rife that Samsung will employ this 3nm design for the Exynos 2500. Business Korea has reported the same, stating that the Galaxy S25 series will likely feature this chip.
Energy Efficiency
The standout claim from the report is that the Exynos 2500 will offer superior energy efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Historically, Qualcomm’s chips have excelled in raw performance, while Exynos processors have focused more on power efficiency. This trend appears set to continue with the upcoming SoCs if the latest rumors hold true.
While there are no benchmarks or specific numbers to back up these claims yet, details about the Exynos 2500’s core configuration remain sparse. This information will be critical in assessing the chip’s overall performance and efficiency.
ARM Cortex-X5 Cores
One confirmed aspect of the Exynos 2500 is that it will feature ARM Cortex-X5 cores. Rumor has it that the Cortex-X5 will be the most powerful smartphone CPU available, potentially outperforming the Oryon CPU cores expected in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Caution on Leaks
It’s important to note that many of these details are based on leaks and industry reports. While they provide insights into the SoC’s potential capabilities, they should not be considered definitive.
