Samsung to lean on Qualcomm for next Galaxy phones

Samsung Electronics is expected to rely heavily on Qualcomm chips in its upcoming Galaxy phones, according to market reports. Rather than expanding the use of its in-house Exynos processors, Samsung appears to be prioritizing flagship performance and AI features, which it deems better served by Qualcomm's technology at present. This heavy reliance on Qualcomm signals that Samsung's own Exynos revival efforts have not yet progressed far enough to claim a larger share of the company's premium phone lineup. The decision reflects a broader reality in the mobile chip market: designing competitive processors that can handle both raw performance and AI workloads remains challenging, and Qualcomm has established itself as the preferred partner for Android flagships that demand the highest performance.

Samsung's continued reliance on Qualcomm for its next generation of flagship Galaxy phones reflects a pragmatic choice around processor capability and AI performance. Despite owning Exynos, Samsung has faced challenges in making its in-house chips competitive with Qualcomm's offerings, particularly for devices that demand high performance and advanced AI features. The market expectation that Samsung will lean heavily on Qualcomm suggests the company views the external supplier as the more reliable option for maintaining its premium phone leadership, at least in the near term. This dynamic underscores the technical difficulty of building competitive mobile processors and the entrenched position Qualcomm holds in flagship smartphone design.