Once upon a time, Qualcomm was the clear king when it came to mobile chipsets. Their dominance in the mobile SoC space stemmed from that, with consumers pushing aside Samsung’s Exynos models because we all knew how much more a Snapdragon chip brought to the table.
It’s not like that anymore, with competition fiercer than ever, especially from MediaTek’s flagship chips. However, Qualcomm’s Snapdragons still have the public’s heart. If you stick with those chips, it could mean higher prices for the upcoming S25 series. When you look at it, there’s no better time for Samsung to embrace MediaTek.
The price of a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip could mean the S25 series will see a price increase
Image: OnLeaks x Android headlines
Samsung’s flagship phones are expensive, but not particularly more expensive than flagships from competing manufacturers. However, the last thing consumers want is for Samsung’s phones to somehow become even more expensive. Unfortunately, that’s what the insistence on using Snapdragon chips could potentially lead to.
Look, I understand that most consumers looking to buy a Samsung S-series device want the very best in every category, and a Snapdragon chip fits that bill. However, in 2025 it could mean that Samsung will take the more expensive one Snapdragon 8 Elite and transfer the price of that chip to the consumer. That could mean a potential price increase of $50 or even $100. A starting price of $1,400 for the S25 Ultra would be eye-watering.
This stems from the fact that the Snapdragon 8 Elite reportedly costs $190 per chip. The price of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was never made official, but the consensus seems to be that the newer chip is significantly more expensive.
Image: MediaTek
This provides the perfect opportunity to talk about MediaTek. Previously there were rumors that the The S25 series would consider using MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 due to the high price and low yield of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Exynos 2500but over time that rumor faded into thin air.
Either way, we wonder: could Samsung’s move to MediaTek’s flagship chips be a big win for both Samsung and consumers? The Dimensity 9400 was supposedly cheaper than Qualcomm’s chip and while the Snapdragon is generally superior in performance, the difference is far from huge: you’re very unlikely to notice it, even in more demanding applications.
If the S25 ends up coming out with a higher price tag, that means there’s a world where the Size 9400 could have delivered similar performance without having to increase the price tag. Maybe that future will come; the OEM has already switched to MediaTek for its premium tablets.
MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9500 could have a clock speed of 4GHz
Image: Peter Holden/TalkAndroid
And to reinforce the fact that MediaTek really wouldn’t be the death of “good performance” in the S series, the upcoming MediaTek Dimensity 9500 is rumored to have a clock speed of up to 4GHz, according to Digital chat station. That’s something we’ve never seen before with a smartphone chip, showing that MediaTek is hardly the uncompetitive chip manufacturer many think they are.
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