The Samsung Galaxy S23 breaks with a tradition rooted in Samsung’s capabilities: the SoC of smartphones is no longer manufactured by the company itself. No more distribution of premium S family mobiles with Exynos: Samsung includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in all variants. After doing the same in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, these Exynos disappear from the most relevant catalog.
Although microprocessors are an essential part of every electronic device sold around the world, only a handful of companies can manufacture the silicon wafers and then printing the lithographs on said wafers and cutting them into chipsets. This design and manufacturing process is mostly split between TSMC, Samsung, and Intel; the former leading the race to be the most competitive. In fact, TSMC eats the market, especially in semiconductors for smartphones.
TSMC won the game against Samsung
Samsung is the only mobile manufacturer capable of developing, manufacturing and building almost the entire phone as a whole.. Screens, batteries, photo sensors, RAM memory… Its imaging and semiconductor divisions are world leaders; Therefore, it was also encouraged to develop and manufacture its own family of mobile chipsets, the Exynos.
Currently, the Samsung Exynos cover the low and mid-range of the brand in addition to the Galaxy S of 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S22. The South Korean brand is used to distributing its premium mobiles with said Exynos in most sales territories; with the exception of the United States, where I placed versions with Snapdragon (more powerful and desired). This commitment to its own product is quite logical, not in vain Samsung must take advantage of the enormous effort involved in the development of a next-generation SoC. The problem is that he ended up succumbing to reality: it’s not at Qualcomm.
The 2022 foldables have already turned to the Snapdragon as an exclusive. All rumors predicted that the Galaxy S would also drop the branded components, and so it is: no Exynos in the Samsung Galaxy S23. Not only that: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are manufactured by TSMC, this deals a double blow to Samsung: not only does it have to bet on a component foreign to those it already manufactures, in addition it must undergo the proof that TSMC manufactures with better quality. TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing process has proven to be much more efficient and superior to Samsung’s equivalent for its Exynos.
Qualcomm and TSMC have proven to make better high-end processors than Samsung. And she had to give up
As a leader in semiconductors, having to do without its chipsets for the most representative mobiles in the catalog should not be a tasteless drink. Although it is also an exercise in humility: If you can’t reach the highest level on your own, it’s better to get help from the competition. As far as it is not in itself, that Samsung also manufactures for Qualcomm.
Users end up benefiting
Samsung has often been accused of limiting premium phones with Snapdragon to very specific markets. Well, it’s over. Anyone who buys a Samsung Galaxy S23 gets the best SoC on Android right now, without discussing. Based on our own testing of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, this chipset is going to deliver plenty of gaming this 2023. Across the board.
All Samsung Galaxy S23 are coming with the most powerful Snapdragon, that’s great news. Also in return Their price increases considerably compared to the Samsung Galaxy S22 of last year. One detail does not have to be linked to the other, although the absence of Exynos surely has something to do with the increased costs for the customer. At least we can’t say that this year the Galaxy S lacks raw power.
