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Some Samsung Galaxy S25 phones could use a surprising chipset, but the performance should still be top-notch

October 8, 2024
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If before today you’d asked us what chipset the Samsung Galaxy S25 series would use, we’d have guessed some combination of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and the Exynos 2500. After all, chipsets from one or – usually – both of those lines are used every year, depending on the model and region. But it now looks likely that at least some Samsung Galaxy S25 units will use a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 instead.

A pair of Google DeepMind researchers have suggested as much in a blog post on the DeepMind website (spotted by NotebookCheck). They write: “MediaTek, one of the top chip design companies in the world, extended AlphaChip to accelerate development of their most advanced chips – like the Dimensity Flagship 5G used in Samsung mobile phones – while improving power, performance and chip area.”

Now, Google doesn’t mention the Samsung Galaxy S25 line by name there, but it does say that a MediaTek Dimensity Flagship 5G chipset (that being a chipset in the 9000 series) is being used in Samsung phones, which as far as released phones go isn’t the case, and as this is the company's flagship series it would only be used in top-end handsets – like the Galaxy S25 line.

The signs were there

While this would be a big change for the company, we perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised, as we heard rumors of a MediaTek chipset being used in the Samsung Galaxy S25 as far back as June.

It’s a switch Samsung is reportedly making due to a combination of sub-par yields of its own Exynos 2500 chipset, and the supposedly high cost of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. So there would be some logic to Samsung leaning on MediaTek, and in fact the recently released Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra use MediaTek chipsets, showing that Samsung is willing to equip high-end devices with them.

Even with all that we'd have been a little skeptical about a switch to MediaTek for Samsung's flagship phones, but given Google’s comment it’s looking very likely that at least some Samsung Galaxy S25 models will use a MediaTek chipset – presumably the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, as that’s expected to be the top model at the time of the Galaxy S25’s release, likely in January.

Snapdragon for some

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

However, we’d think the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at least will stick with a Snapdragon chipset, especially as early benchmarks show it using a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

So it’s only the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus that are likely to use a MediaTek chipset, and even then, they might not do so everywhere.

But early benchmarks of the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 suggest it will offer comparable power to the top rival chipsets, so having a phone with this may not be such a bad thing – especially if it means a lower price than you might pay for a phone equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

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