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Samsung Galaxy S25 FE might favor power over price

Side profile of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is expected to launch later this year, offering flagship-level performance and features at a more affordable price. While it’s long been expected to launch with the Exynos 2400e chip, a new report suggests Samsung might go with the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 instead, citing production issues with Samsung Foundry.

The report comes from NotebookCheck’s Anil Ganti via one of their internal sources. According to the source, Samsung still intends to launch the Galaxy S25 FE with the Exynos 2400e, but the company has a backup plan in case production issues arise, and that’s the Dimensity 9400. While Samsung has previously used Mediatek chips in the Galaxy Tab S10 lineup, it poses several notable downsides versus the Exynos.

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Cost is first and foremost. The Dimensity 9400 is a more powerful chip, but it’s also more expensive due to both its specs and the need to purchase it from MediaTek. The Exynos 2400e would allow Samsung to produce the needed silicon in-house and bring revenue to Samsung Foundry.

In the Galaxy S24 generation, the Galaxy S24 FE was the only handset receiving Exynos 2400e chips. Some rumors suggest the yields could be split between the Galaxy S25 FE and the Galaxy Z Flip FE, and that’s where the concern lies. Earlier this year, reports emerged that Samsung Foundry would cut its chip production by 50 percent to address quality concerns, and last year it delayed production of 2nm chips. Samsung Foundry has suffered numerous setbacks recently, leaving fans concerned that it won’t be able to meet demand.

The Galaxy S25 FE is meant to be a more affordable phone, and the chip plays a big role in that. Using an Exynos chip allows Samsung to keep costs lower. If Samsung has to use the Dimensity 9400 instead, it would drive up not only production costs, but potentially the final price of the phone.

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