Frustrating Samsung update could return to Galaxy phones later this year

When Samsung revealed its new Galaxy S23 range of devices at the start of the year we all thought it was the end of the firm’s baffling launch structure. Most of Samsung’s previous flagship S-series all shipped with different processors depending on the region they were purchased which made things mightily confusing for consumers. For example, UK Galaxy S22 owners got Samsung’s Exynos chip whilst those in the US found their devices were powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon brains.

Luckily, that bizarre decision was reversed when the Galaxy S23 went on sale with this device simply getting Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brain no matter where in the world it was bought.

Now it seems Samsung might be considering bringing back its Exynos technology with rumours suggesting that the upcoming Galaxy S23 FE (Fan Edition) will be powered by the firm’s own 2200 chipset. The previous Galaxy S21 FE included both Qualcomm and Samsung processors but that doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

It’s thought the S23 FE will arrive late in 2023 and it could mark the surprise resurgence of Exynos power.

In fact, some rumours have begun swirling around the web that Samsung will, once again, split the chipsets that power the next Galaxy S24 making things terribly confusing for consumers.

To add fuel to the fire, Samsung’s Hyeokman Kwon, Vice President of the DS Division recently said in an earnings call that the firm is “pushing for the return of Exynos to the flagship of the Galaxy series.”

Some experts are suggesting that the entry-level S24 will get Exynos brains in some regions whilst all more premium Ultra models will be powered by the next generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

One of the reasons why this could be an unwelcome change is that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip has now become a trusted and well-known brand.

During comparison tests, it’s also often found to be slightly more powerful than Samsung’s Exynos processor which will obviously leave some smartphone buyers feeling a little short-changed. One performance review by the team at PhoneBuff showed how the Snapdragon-powered S22 breezed through tasks over 30 seconds quicker than the Exynos model – it also lasted longer in battery drain checks.

Qualcomm’s next 8 Gen 3 chip will be revealed in October during the firm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii and it’s almost certain to take power and efficiency to a whole new level. This upgrade is also likely to boost picture quality from the rear cameras and help with AI tasks performed on the device.

It’s sure to be another mighty update from Qualcomm, just be aware that your Galaxy S24 might not feature it.