Samsung has been trying to catch up with the competition with its own Exynos chipsets for years, but with mixed results.
The Exynos 2200 in the Galaxy S22 series was not met with a warm welcome, mainly because it caused the device to get very hot. This is probably why Samsung decided to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 series and skip the Exynos 2300.
However, the next attempt came with the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S24 series. While it is slightly less capable than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the margin is smaller than you might expect, and, in many cases, they’re comparable.
This makes the upcoming Exynos 2500 a real contender for flagship smartphones, especially given some of the rumoured improvements.
When will the Exynos 2500 launch?
The Exynos 2400 powers Samsung’s current flagships, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in some markets, including the UK. That’s where it made its first appearance, and no other devices have been revealed so far.
Therefore, it is expected that the Exynos 2500 might debut alongside the Galaxy S25 series in either January or February 2025.
Which phones will use the Exynos 2500?
Exynos chipsets are Samsung’s own processors and remain exclusive to Galaxy phones.
The Exynos 2500 is likely to be present primarily in the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ in some markets. The Galaxy S24 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 globally, so the S25 Ultra is more likely to boast the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 instead.
On the other hand, a recent rumour from leaker OreXda on X (formerly Twitter) suggests that Samsung is considering equipping the entire Galaxy S25 lineup with its Exynos chipsets. However, we advise taking this information with a hefty grain of salt, particularly since it lacks confirmation from other sources.
What will the Exynos 2500 specs and features be?
There still haven’t been too many rumours about the Exynos 2500. However, we do have some interesting information.
New ARM CPU cores
According to more OreXda’s leaks, the upcoming Exynos 2500 is set to maintain a 10-core configuration of the Exynos 2400 but will feature ARM’s new CPU cores and be produced on Samsung’s advanced 3nm process.
It’s expected to include a powerful 3.3GHz~3.2GHz Cortex-X5 core along with multiple Cortex-A730 and Cortex-A520 cores for efficiency.
Rumours also suggest the Cortex-X5 core could outperform Apple’s latest custom CPU core.
AMD Xclipse 950 GPU
The Exynos 2500’s GPU might feature AMD’s RDNA-based Xclipse 950, which would offer improved graphical performance compared to the Xclipse 940 found in the Exynos 2400.
With these enhancements, it could potentially rival or even surpass the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, marking a significant leap for Samsung’s Exynos lineup.
Google’s TPU
Another claim from OreXda is that the Exynos 2500 is set to integrate Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), marking a continued focus on AI capabilities.
This aligns with the Pixel 8 series, which utilises the Google Tensor G3 (4 nm) for on-device AI and faster Google Mobile Services (GMS) functions.
This collaboration will grant devices like the Galaxy S25 series access to Google’s machine learning APIs, enabling on-device model processing. Additionally, the chipset might feature two Neural Processing Units (NPUs), including a general-purpose version (G-NPU) alongside a specialised unit (S-NPU).
If true, the Exynos 2500, based on Samsung’s 3nm node and boasting a Cortex-X5 core, A730 cores, and an Xclipse 950 GPU, would strongly enhance performance and efficiency, potentially challenging Google when it comes to AI.
However, the arrival of the Google Tensor G4 along with the Pixel 9 series may keep the Moutain View-based company on top.
That’s all we know about the Exynos 2500 at this point. While expectations are high for it, the Exynos 2400 present in the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ remains a great choice.
If you don’t want to wait for the Galaxy S25 series, with which the Exynos 2500 is likely to debut, check out the best Samsung Galaxy phones you can buy right now.
Author: Artur Tomala, Mobile Writer, Tech Advisor
Artur is a Mobile Writer at Tech Advisor, where he covers a range of smartphone, tablet and smartwatch-related topics. He has been working in the tech industry since 2021, including time spent leading a team focused on mobile news, reviews and product rankings. As an ambassador for the productivity app Notion, he runs training workshops and creates advanced templates to help people stay organised and productive.