Samsung has been spotted testing its Exynos 2500 chipset on the Galaxy S25+ again. However, the chip is unlikely to power the upcoming flagship. All three Galaxy S25 models should ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor globally.
Samsung continues Exynos 2500 testing amid 3nm foundry struggles
A few weeks ago, the Galaxy S25+’s global version (model number SM-S936B) appeared on Geekbench running the Exynos 2500 chip. The device recently resurfaced on the same benchmarking platform (via @Jukanlosreve) hinting at ongoing testing of the new chipset. The unreleased Exynos processor has a deca-core CPU with a peak speed of 3.3GHz and a base speed of 1.8GHz.
Despite the ongoing testing, Samsung is unlikely to use the Exynos 2500 in the Galaxy S25+ or any Galaxy S25 model. Its foundry division has been struggling with poor yields of its 3nm process node. Reports suggest the chip has an extremely poor yield of 20%, which isn’t enough to secure sufficient production volume for the new flagships. As such, Samsung may use the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Galaxy S25 lineup globally.
However, the Korean behemoth hasn’t entirely canceled the Exynos 2500. It recently started its mass production with plans to use it in next-gen foldables. The chip is rumored to power the Galaxy Z Flip 7 next year, and potentially other models too. Ahead of that, Samsung is testing the processor as it seeks to overcome the foundry struggles.
The Galaxy S25 series may go official on January 22, 2025. The Ultra model will lead the line, followed by the Plus and the base Galaxy S25. All three models will ship with Android 15-based One UI 7 software out of the box. Leaks suggest One UI 7 will be a massive update with tons of new features and visual enhancements, including new AI tools. Expect more leaks about the upcoming Samsung flagships in the build-up to the launch next month.
