The industry is paying attention to whether or not Samsung will select its Exynos AP to be used in its new flagship product.
According to sources in the semiconductor and mobile industries on Feb. 9, Samsung is testing both its own Exynos Application Processor (AP) and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AP to decide between the two for the Galaxy S5, before the Feb. 24 introduction.
The Korean tech giant is reportedly intensifying efforts to feature its Exynos AP in the new model.
The Exynos processor for the Galaxy S5 will be 32-bit, with a built-in a quad-core chip. A source close to Samsung said, “The support for 64-bit is not perfect yet,” adding, “The 64-bit Exynos 6 AP is more likely used in the next model of the Galaxy Note 3.”
The industry believes that Intel’s XMM 7260 is a strong candidate for manufacturing the Exynos AP. A source in the semiconductor industry said, “Qualcomm’s fourth-generation 3G/LTE modem chipset, the Gobi 9x35, is scheduled to be released in the second or third quarter. If Qualcomm’s chipset is chosen, it will cause a scheduling conflict between the production and launch of the Galaxy S5.” The source added, “So, the possibility of the Gobi 9x35 used in the Exynos AP is low.”
It was confirmed that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 was used in another beta version of the new model. The Snapdragon 805 processor runs at speeds of up to 2.5 GHz per core, 200MHz faster than the previous model, designed to deliver the highest-quality mobile video, imaging, and graphics experiences at Ultra HD (4K) resolution, a 40% improvement.
Samsung is said to be leaning towards the Snapdragon 805 processor for the Galaxy S5. An industry source remarked, “The Snapdragon processor proved to be superior to the Exynos AP in a lot of areas, including functions, communications and power efficiency.” The source added, “So, it is impracticable to use the Exynos processor right now.”
However, some in the industry think that the Korean tech company may unveil the Galaxy S5 featuring the Exynos AP after the initial release of the new model, once technical development is complete. Previously, it rolled out products with various AP versions.
Samsung mounted a serious challenge to top-ranked Qualcomm at the end of last year by fitting its entry-level smartphone, Galaxy Win, with its SHANNON222 modem chipset. Unlike the chipset, the Exynos AP is high-performance processor essential for premium products. Thus, the industry predicts that if the Galaxy S5 comes with the Exynos AP, it will directly affect Qualcomm’s performance.