Galaxy S23: Samsung globally switches from Exynos to Snapdragon

Samsung will no longer rely on its own Exynos processor for the “Galaxy S23” next year, instead relying on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips worldwide. This was confirmed by the CEO of Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon, in an interview with analysts to announce the quarterly figures. Does this also mean that the partnership with AMD is about to end?

Qualcomm and Samsung signed a new license agreement that will extend the agreement signed in 2009, which would have expired at the end of 2023 but has now been extended until the end of 2030. The agreement falls under the QTL (Qualcomm Technology Licensing) division of the company and covers technologies, standards and products in the areas of 3G, 4G, 5G and the future 6G. QTL Chairman Alexander Rogers said the deal will continue under the same non-public terms, such as royalties and related costs, as before.

Amon confirms Snapdragon for Galaxy S23

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon provided the decisive indication of Samsung giving up its own Exynos processors in the next Galaxy flagship and potentially other devices. how that Earnings Call Transcript (PDF) As can be seen in three places for the third quarter of 2022, Snapdragon processors will power Samsung’s new Galaxy flagships globally for several years. Until now, the chips have been used mainly in North America, while Europe and Germany will receive the Exynos counterpart.

1) We are pleased to report that Qualcomm and Samsung have entered into a new multi-year agreement beginning in 2023, expanding the use of Snapdragon platforms for future premium Samsung Galaxy products globally.

2) We would average over the many years of this relationship, if you recall, around 40% share compared to your in-house solution with the Galaxy S22, which was prior to the signing of this deal. Our share goes up to about 75%. And now we’re announcing a multi-year agreement to power Samsung Galaxy smartphones globally.

3) The way you should think about it is that Snapdragon will push their Galaxy product line, their flagship Galaxy products. And what I can say at this point is that we had 75% of the Galaxy S22 before the deal. You should be thinking that we are going to be much better than that in the Galaxy S23 and beyond. It is a multi-year agreement. And that’s… that’s probably what I can tell you. You should think of us powering your devices globally.

Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm Incorporated, President and CEO

Current 75 percent Snapdragon stake

In his opening speech, Amon already confirmed that Samsung will use the Snapdragon platform globally for Galaxy products in the premium segment starting next year. When asked, Amon explained that the proportion of Galaxy products has increased from 40 to 75 percent in recent years. The new agreement to equip Galaxy smartphones globally is designed for several years. From the Galaxy S23 and beyond, it will be in a much better position than the current 75 percent, Amon explained.

Only one generation with RDNA 2 GPU

This decision by Samsung is surprising because the Exynos 2200, a proprietary chip, was developed specifically for the Galaxy S22, which features the Xclipse 920 GPU, the first graphics unit based on the RDNA 2 architecture from the partnership with AMD was integrated. . In exchange, Samsung gave up its own CPU development in Austin the year before and reverted to standard Arm cores. The new deal with Qualcomm suggests that the cooperation with AMD is about to end after just one generation.

Is the partnership with AMD about to end?

The new deal with Qualcomm leaves little room for Samsung to continue with its own AMD GPU-powered chips and use them in other products, as it also includes PCs, tablets, extended reality and other sectors besides Galaxy smartphones. However, Samsung does not have an exclusive contract with Qualcomm, so Exynos chips and AMD GPUs could still be used in individual products. However, it’s doubtful that expensive custom GPUs are worth anything apart from flagships.