The anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 series is slated for unveiling on January 22nd during the well-known ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ event. This new lineup will feature three models: the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. All three variants are expected to incorporate the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset across all markets, a move necessitated by the low production yields of Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chipset. This strategic shift is likely to result in a price increase for the series.
Qualcomm is reportedly charging $190 per Snapdragon 8 Elite application processor for the Galaxy S25 series. This chip, the first to use TSMC’s 3nm process, may see a price increase due to manufacturing costs.
Samsung is shifting to Qualcomm across all regions for the Galaxy S25 series because of low yields with its Exynos 2500 chip, which achieved only 20-30% yield rates compared to the necessary 70%.
This has led to a potential price hike for the series. Historically, Qualcomm had to shift production due to similar yield issues. As of the third quarter of 2024, TSMC leads the contract foundry market with a 64% share, while Samsung Foundry holds 12%.
