Exynos vs Snapdragon can be a nightmare for the Galaxy S25

We’re nonetheless many months away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 sequence, however I’m already beginning to suppose that it may very well be probably the most contentious smartphone launches in latest reminiscence. Whereas we’ve seen the odd rumor already, it’s the announcement of the newest Arm CPUs and GPUs that has actually piqued my early curiosity within the upcoming fashions. My suspicion, or even perhaps concern, is that these elements may result in a hotly contested Exynos vs Snapdragon debate, maybe essentially the most ever.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the saga, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 sequence makes use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 within the Extremely and its different two telephones within the US, China, and another markets. World clients shopping for the S24 or S24 Plus obtain the Exynos 2400. An analogous international vs US break up has been the established order for a few years.

Whereas Samsung does its greatest to make sure characteristic parity between all of its fashions, there are inevitable efficiency, battery life, and networking variations between its telephones, owing to their totally different chipsets. The not too long ago introduced Arm CPU cores look set to make the Exynos 2500 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 far more drastically totally different; let me clarify why.

Qualcomm has used Cortex CPU core designs from Arm since 2017’s Snapdragon 835. Earlier than that, it developed its {custom} Krait cores primarily based on Arm’s structure and is returning to the same formulation with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 following its acquisition of Nuvia in 2021. The chip is rumored to incorporate six Phoenix L and two Phoenix M cores derived from the Oryon structure contained in the Snapdragon X Elite platform for Arm-based PCs.

Samsung has additionally been utilizing Arm’s Cortex CPUs for Exynos, and whereas the chips don’t at all times match the precise topology, the 2 have shared very related efficiency factors and options over latest years. So far as we all know, Samsung will not be creating a {custom} CPU for cell, and so will virtually actually use the brand new Arm Cortex-X925, A725, and A520 in some configuration for the Exynos 2500, which may energy the Galaxy S25. Efficiency between Exynos and Snapdragon fashions may very well be about to diverge massive time. However that’s simply the beginning of a probably chasmic divide.

Clearly, any platform derived from a PC-class CPU can be highly effective, however equally, there’s a danger it is perhaps power-hungry. Early rumors (that are admittedly a bit doubtful) level to next-gen telephones having bigger batteries, though that’s not essentially on account of increased energy consumption. From what we all know to this point, it doesn’t seem like there’s a tiny Phoenix CPU core, which may be very totally different from what we’re used to within the Android chipset area. On condition that, sometimes, Exynos has higher battery life than Snapdragon, we may very well be taking a look at some vital discrepancies in battery life and/or capability. Significantly if Arm’s newest CPU platform is as much as 30% extra energy environment friendly, as claimed.

After all, we don’t know precisely what efficiency level Phoenix will attain. Roughly eyeballing Arm’s claimed 35% increase technology increase with the Cortex-X925 suggests the core may catch as much as and marginally overtake the single-core grunt of the Apple A16 Professional (the present market chief). That’s a strong acquire however gained’t lead the trade as soon as rivals announce their newest chips. Nonetheless, the A16 Professional is an attention-grabbing comparability level although, as Apple’s SoCs concentrate on massive core efficiency and don’t use little cores both.

If, and it’s nonetheless a giant if, Qualcomm’s Phoenix cores push past Apple, it might create a extra noticeable efficiency hole between entries within the Galaxy S25 sequence (and different Android telephones). Conversely, if the chip is just too power-hungry, the 8 Gen 4 may battle to match the sustained efficiency of Exynos, which might be a significant reversal of latest traits.

Prices are additionally anticipated to shoot up. Rumors level to a probably “vital” value enhance for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, presumably owing to a mixture of custom-core improvement prices, a pricier 3nm TSMC manufacturing node, and/or just charging a better value for top-tier efficiency. Shoppers are already feeling the squeeze, but it surely’s unclear if Samsung will skew its pricing barely extra in Snapdragon and Exynos areas to accommodate the totally different prices or if a flatter pricing technique will depart international clients paying much more for probably much less.

Samsung may take a web page from Apple’s playbook to bypass the problem — its rival has shipped older however nonetheless very succesful silicon in its lower-priced iPhones for a number of years now. Samsung may think about a worldwide Exynos rollout for the baseline Galaxy S25 to maintain prices down, which is arguably higher than Apple’s technique because the Exynos 2500 will nonetheless be new. Samsung has already laid the foundations for such an method with the Snapdragon-only setup within the Galaxy S24 Extremely. The disadvantage is that this might widen the technological hole between its customary, Plus, and Extremely fashions, however maybe that’s truthful sufficient.

It’s not simply value and uncooked efficiency metrics that matter concerning Arm Cortex vs Oryon/Phoenix. Because of the age of its improvement cycle, Qualcomm’s {custom} CPU is predicated on the older Armv8 structure, whereas 2024’s Cortex merchandise are constructed on Armv9.2 — full with the newer options that entails. That is necessary as a result of 2021’s Armv9 launched a number of key enhancements, together with Scalable Vector Extension (SVE2) and Reminiscence Tagging Extension (MTE).

SVE2 directions are a significant enhancement for machine studying efficiency and different DSP workloads that run straight on the CPU. Throughout its latest CPU bulletins, Arm famous that round 70% of AI-focused apps run on the CPU reasonably than a devoted neural processor. As such, the corporate claims strong double-digit ML positive aspects for its newest X925 CPU core. There are many variables, but it surely’s attainable that ML workloads may run worse on the 8 Gen 4’s CPU in comparison with the X925, making software improvement far more reliant on the SoC’s neural processor and Qualcomm’s in-house APIs. This clearly isn’t good for third-party merchandise or efficiency parity with Exynos.

MTE, alternatively, is a giant deal for safety. It helps builders establish reminiscence bugs and keep away from reminiscence exploits like Spectre and Meltdown (bear in mind them?). Now, Qualcomm’s Oryon cores are apparently primarily based on Armv8.7, and MTE was launched in v8.5, so in idea, Qualcomm’s PC chips are safe right here. Nonetheless, whether or not this holds true with Phoenix stays to be seen. I think about it’s going to, however that will be a key level of debate if it doesn’t. Granted, since Google launched help for MTE in Android 13, solely the Google Pixel 8 and vivo X100 sequence use it, however help will develop within the coming years.

One fully new safety characteristic in Armv9 is the Confidential Compute Structure and Realms, designed to containerize apps and their knowledge securely with minimal overhead. This isn’t a core Android characteristic but, but it surely’s the subsequent step in Linux safety (and past) and may very well be a boon for digital environments. In any occasion, extra gadgets are anticipated to help these necessary safety features sooner or later. Qualcomm ought to have parity if it’s to be thought-about on the leading edge.

After all, this doesn’t contact on the same old variations between Exynos and Snapdragon. There’s already a niche in graphics efficiency that would develop additional relying on Samsung’s selection of GPU companions (rumored to be AMD nonetheless), and Exynos’ modem stack continues to be a bit of extra questionable.

AI, at the moment an enormous differentiating issue, is maybe essentially the most vulnerable to handset discrepancy, particularly if Galaxy AI more and more makes use of on-device processing sooner or later. Samsung is rumored (once more very shakily) to be courting Google’s TPU expertise from Tensor, maybe in a bid to shut the efficiency and API hole on Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU suite. Both means, that is an equally key area to look at.

Clearly, I don’t have a crystal ball and wouldn’t need to speculate too closely on precisely what the Exynos 2500 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will seem like. That mentioned, there are clear indicators that a few of the largest modifications are coming to the SoC trade in years, they usually’re more likely to depart Samsung with some robust selections to make in regards to the Galaxy S25.

Will the sequence be pressured to hobble its greatest capabilities even additional to keep up characteristic parity throughout the lineup? Will chipsets be restricted to particular fashions, as there’s an more and more good case for an Exynos-only base Galaxy S25 if Snapdragon costs shoot up? May Samsung go Snapdragon-only throughout the entire vary this time? It’s all to be seen.

Moreover, the modifications coming with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, significantly its CPU’s AI and safety capabilities and energy consumption, can have repercussions throughout the Android ecosystem. After which there’s the worth; Qualcomm expects at the very least “some price enhance” over 8 Gen 3, which absolutely means these ultra-premium Android smartphones (and even a few of the extra inexpensive ones) may very well be much more costly subsequent 12 months.  I, for one, can be watching the tip of 2024 with extra-keen curiosity.