Samsung has announced the Exynos 9825 processor, just hours before the launch of the Galaxy Note 10, suggesting the new powerhouse chip will be inside at least some of the new smartphones. An advancement over the Samsung Exynos 9820 chip, the new Exynos 9825 is built using a smaller, more advanced manufacturing process for more power and improved efficiency.
In the U.S., Samsung’s flagship phones usually have a Qualcomm chip inside, and this is expected to be the case for the Galaxy Note 10. Rumors suggesting Samsung will use its new Exynos more widely in the U.S. this year turned out to be unfounded. If the Exynos 9825 is to be used in the Galaxy Note 10, it will be in versions sold in Europe, South Korea, and various other international markets.
It’s an octa-core chip made up of two custom Mongoose cores, two Cortex A75 cores, and four Cortex A55 cores, Samsung used a new 7nm EUV manufacturing process for the Exynos 9825. This enables it to print finer circuits, which it says results in the processor being faster and more power efficient. For the Exynos 9820 chip — used in some Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus phones — it used a larger 8nm LPP FinFET manufacturing process.
What else? The Exynos 9825 has its own integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to drive artificial intelligence and augmented reality apps and features, the Mali G76-MP12 graphics processing unit (GPU) support for up to 8K Ultra HD video and HDR10+, plus the chip has high levels of security. For connectivity, it has an integrated 4G LTE modem, but can also be paired with Samsung’s Exynos Modem 5100 for 5G. If it does make it inside the Galaxy Note 10, expect any international 5G version announced to have this setup.
Samsung’s Exynos 9825 will compete against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855, and the Snapdragon 855 Plus. Comparisons between the Exynos 9820 and Snapdragon 855 often had the Qualcomm chip come out better for efficiency and power, which Samsung is surely hoping will change with the introduction of the new processor.
The Galaxy Note 10 will be revealed at an event in New York on Wednesday, August 7. In addition to the potential of it being used in the new phone, it’s highly likely the Exynos 9825 will also be used in some versions of the Galaxy S11, which will come in 2020.
