Samsung ditches exynos for qualcomm, mediatek in budget galaxy push
Samsung is shaking up
its affordable smartphone strategy, decisively swapping out its in-house Exynos chipsets for Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek silicon across its budget Galaxy lineup. The move, confirmed by ZDNet Korea, marks a significant shift designed to mitigate rising component costs.
Budget galaxy a18 gets snapdragon boost
The Galaxy A18 5G will receive a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, while the 4G version will utilize a MediaTek chipset. This split strategy, previously seen in North American Galaxy models, suggests the US market will similarly benefit from Snapdragon availability.
Previously, the Galaxy A17 5G utilized Samsung’s 5nm Exynos 1330 in North America, a processor now deemed lagging behind. This upgrade addresses concerns amongst Galaxy A-series enthusiasts, particularly regarding performance in demanding applications.
Samsung's aggressive production targets – 100,000 units for the 4G model in August, scaling to 2.5 million in October – signal a confident commitment to this new approach. The 5G variant is slated to follow, contingent on Qualcomm’s manufacturing timeline. But here's the kicker: will these cost-cutting measures translate into higher prices for consumers?
The Galaxy A-series remains a critical revenue driver for Samsung, consistently topping sales charts globally, even surpassing flagship Galaxy S series models. The Galaxy A17, in particular, achieved impressive sales figures last year, demonstrating the segment’s enduring appeal. Slapping a Snapdragon processor onto the Galaxy A18 5G promises further improvements in efficiency and performance, potentially bolstering sales even further.
The Galaxy A18 4G is projected to debut in the latter half of 2026, followed shortly by the 5G variant. The A17 5G launched last year with a starting price of $199, a phenomenal value proposition with its impressive feature set. Samsung needs to maintain this affordability to capitalize on the A18’s anticipated production volume. Frankly, the move away from Exynos in the budget division feels less like a strategic shift and more like a recognition of Qualcomm and MediaTek's current dominance – a reality they’re understandably keen to exploit.
Let’s be clear: Qualcomm’s chips are simply better. Period. This isn’t some grand philosophical debate; it's a matter of raw processing power and efficiency. The question isn’t if Samsung will embrace Snapdragon, but when the entire portfolio will follow suit. And if they don’t? Well, consumers will notice.