It looks like the Samsung Galaxy S25 isn't ready to ditch Exynos just yet

Samsung has used a combination of different hardware for its Galaxy S flagship phones over the last decade, often choosing Snapdragon and Exynos in different regions and models. And now it looks like the manufacturer isn’t ready to switch away from its own chipset just yet.

If you turn the clock back about a decade, Samsung used to justify the mixed use of hardware because of the different capabilities that it offered, particularly when it came to CDMA connectivity. The world has moved on since then, so that original reason is no longer valid, but the practice of mixing hardware continues.

In 2023, Samsung looked to Qualcomm exclusively to power the Galaxy S23 with a special Snapdragon for Galaxy chip. That exclusivity only lasted for a year, with the S24 returning to a mixture of hardware based on the region.

For the Galaxy S25, it was initially thought Samsung might make it all Exynos, before a report suggested that the company was going all-in with Snapdragon. However, the newly found test results (via SamMobile) suggest Samsung is going to have a mixture once again.

The Geekbench database suggests that a Galaxy S25+ model has been tested with the forthcoming Exynos 2500, running Android 15 and One UI 7. The initial test results suggest that the Exynos chip could have less power than Snapdragon 8 Elite or Dimensity 9400, but it should be remembered that this is unreleased hardware, so any data might not be a reflection of the final performance.

What do we know about the Samsung Galaxy S25 so far?

There’s been plenty of interest in Samsung’s forthcoming devices, with rumours that there will only be minor design changes, with the biggest excitement saved for a slim version of the S25 that might follow later in the year.

The display might get a little larger on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, thanks to slimmer bezels, while there could be an increase in the charging speed to 65W.

The cameras for the S25 Ultra are expected to stick to a 200MP main camera, supported by 50MP cameras for the other lenses, while a lot of the changes will come through evolving the AI experience.

The timing of the new launch may coincide with the roll-out of Android 15 and One UI 7 on other devices, so it could be that the Galaxy S25 launches with software features that are new, leaving owners of other devices waiting for yet another software update before they get access to them.

The expected launch of the Galaxy S25 family of devices is January 2025, likely in the middle of the month.