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Base Galaxy S25 spotted with ‘Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy’ on Geekbench, but performance disappoints

Samsung is gearing up for the launch of its Galaxy S25 series, expected to debut sometime in January 2025. Among the upcoming models, the base Galaxy S25 has recently made an appearance on Geekbench, revealing some intriguing details about its hardware and performance.

The Geekbench listing features the Galaxy S25 with the model number “SM-S931N,” likely for the Korean market. It is powered by the customized “Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy” chipset, confirmed by its higher clock speed of 4.47 GHz, compared to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite‘s 4.32 GHz. This specialized version of the chipset has previously been seen exclusively in Samsung flagships. The tested device packs 12 GB of RAM.

However, the performance scores are somewhat disappointing. The Galaxy S25 scores 2481 in single-core and 8658 in multi-core tests, significantly lower than most of the Snapdragon 8 Elite devices released or listed on the platform so far. For context, the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13 routinely score over 3100 and 10,000 on the same tests, showcasing the disappointing performance of Samsung’s custom-tuned chip, at least on the test.

Could the underwhelming performance be attributed to a smaller cooling system on the base Galaxy S25 compared to the larger, performance-centric flagships? Or is Samsung simply adopting a more conservative approach to performance?

At this stage, there isn’t enough information to draw firm conclusions. However, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s ‘For Galaxy’ chipsets have historically scored lower than their standard Snapdragon 8-series counterparts. This difference may stem from Samsung’s focus on prioritizing efficiency over raw performance.

While the listing suggests the adoption of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Korean market, there’s good news for users in Europe and India as well. Prolific leaker Ice Universe has reiterated that Samsung plans to use the Snapdragon chipset across the entire Galaxy S25 series in all markets, similar to the Galaxy S23 series. Although this is still a rumor, there is a compelling reason why it seems plausible.

Tipster reiterates Entire Galaxy S25 Series will adopt Snapdragon 8 Elite, and here’s why...Samsung‘s Galaxy S series has long been part of Samsung’s dial-sourcing strategy, featuring both Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets, depending on regional markets.

However, a new tip suggests that the Galaxy S25 series might break this tradition once again after the Galaxy S23 series. Renowned tipster Ice Universe reiterates his previous claim saying that Samsung will power all models of the Galaxy S25 lineup with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, abandoning the Exynos 2500 for this generation.

This isn’t the first speculation about Samsung’s chip-sourcing strategy for its upcoming flagship. Earlier rumors hinted at Samsung using a mix of Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets or even adopting MediaTek flagship for select models. However, Ice Universe’s claim reinforces the possibility of an all-Snapdragon lineup, marking a significant shift for Samsung’s flagship series.

Snapdragon 8 Elite over Exynos 2500...Samsung Foundry’s 3nm process, which the Exynos 2500 (intended to power the Galaxy S25 and S25+) relies on, currently has a yield rate of around 20%. For context, the semiconductor yield represents the percentage of chips successfully produced relative to the maximum chip count on a wafer; it inversely correlates with the defective rate. To make the fabrication process economically viable, a yield rate of at least 70% is typically required. In comparison, TSMC’s 3nm process, used for the Snapdragon 8 Elite, reportedly achieves a yield rate exceeding 80%.

Such low yields make production costly and unsustainable, possibly influencing Samsung’s decision to go all-in with Snapdragon for the Galaxy S25 series. Significant in context, Samsung is also exploring possibilities to outsource Exynos’s production to TSMC, like most of the fabless manufacturers including Qualcomm and MediaTek.

While nothing is confirmed until the Galaxy S25 lineup officially launches, this rumored strategy could enhance user confidence in Samsung’s flagship devices. The series is expected to debut in January 2025, likely in the early weeks of the month.

mundophone