Samsung is making moves in the world of smartphone chips, and it's all about that Snapdragon life. Even though Samsung's Exynos 2400 Deca-core chip did well on those benchmark tests, Samsung is teaming up with Qualcomm, the brains behind the Snapdragon chips, for its top-notch Galaxy S Ultra models and the smaller Galaxy S models in the U.S. and China. This isn't just a one-time fling; they signed a multi-year deal to make things official.
Qualcomm spilled the beans during their 2024 earnings call, letting everyone know that the deal is on like Donkey Kong and it started this year. The Galaxy S24 series is the pioneer, rocking the Snapdragon chips covered by this cool agreement. So, if you're a die-hard Samsung fan, you can sleep tight knowing that the upcoming Galaxy S and Galaxy Z phones will be rocking those Snapdragon APs (but it might depend on where you are for the Galaxy S series).
During the earnings call, they shouted from the rooftops, "We're extending our love affair with Samsung! Snapdragon is going to be the powerhouse behind the flagship Galaxy smartphones from 2024 onward. It's like peanut butter and jelly - a perfect match." Okay, they didn't say that last part, but you get the idea.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 AP is stealing the spotlight. It's the first one to ditch Arm Holding's Cortex cores in favor of Qualcomm's custom CPU cores. Picture this: two high-performance "Phoenix" CPU cores and six medium-performance "Phoenix" CPU cores, no low-power Efficiency cores in sight. Plus, it's getting the VIP treatment with TSMC's second-generation N3E 3nm process node. They might throw a party for this chip in October – stay tuned.
Now, if you're curious about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, it's going to be a mix of TSMC and Samsung Foundry magic. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 started as a Samsung Foundry production, but Qualcomm got a wandering eye due to some yield issues. So, they jumped ship to TSMC for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and plan to keep riding that wave through the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. As for 2025, we'll have to wait and see if Samsung Foundry gets a chance to win back Qualcomm's heart.
In a nutshell, Samsung and Qualcomm are teaming up for some serious smartphone power, and the Snapdragon chips are stealing the show in the Galaxy lineup. It's a tech love story for the ages!