Amid rumors of a price rise for the Galaxy S26’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor, Samsung may be exploring alternatives. The company is reportedly considering switching to MediaTek’s Dimensity processors. It was also rumored that a Dimesity chip could be used in some Galaxy S25 units, but the plans were seemingly canceled. The upcoming flagships look set to run the Snapdragon 8 Elite globally.
MediaTek chips will allow Samsung to balance performance and affordability
Samsung’s foundry division is having major 3nm yield issues, affecting the Exynos 2500 production. The issues are so big that the company isn’t using the in-house processor in the Galaxy S25 series. There are mixed reports about its 2nm yield as well, with some suggesting similar issues for the Exynos 2600.
As such, Samsung might have to once again go all-in with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor for the Galaxy S26 series. However, reports suggest the next-gen Snapdragon will see a major price hike, potentially forcing the Korean firm to increase the Galaxy S26 prices. To tackle the problem, it is considering MediaTek’s Dimensity chipsets.
The Dimensity line offers strong performance at a lower cost. Samsung has already used the chips in its Galaxy Tab S10 series and some mid-range phones. However, it is yet to adopt MediaTek processors for flagship phones due to concerns about brand perception and performance consistency compared to Qualcomm. Galaxy fans don’t even want the company to use Exynos chips in its flagship phones.
But if the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 turns out to be substantially more expensive than the 8 Elite, Samsung might be tempted to use Dimensity chips in some Galaxy S26 units. MediaTek could offer a cost-effective alternative without compromising performance. This shift may help the Korean firm stay competitive in the flagship market. Expect more details to emerge following the Galaxy S25 launch early next year.
