Samsung officially announced the new Galaxy S25 series with a major AI update, combined with increased performance. Mostly, in terms of design, it’s just the same as the previous series; however, there is one vast difference in speed from the previous version, namely the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Powering the core of new speeds in the Galaxy S25 series is the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a processor exclusively designed for the Galaxy S25 lineup by Qualcomm. But it is a tweaked version of the normal Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with higher CPU and GPU performance.
Snapdragon 8 Elite: Performance Powerhouse
Snapdragon 8 Elite is a big leap in the performance department of smartphones. The chip offers much better computation and graphics compared to previous Qualcomm chips. Samsung’s customized variant has been overclocked for the maximum potential of the chip, with Qualcomm confirming the peak CPU speed to be 4.46GHz, some 150MHz above the standard variant.
While these might not be very perceivable during actual use, the demonstrations done by Samsung on stage seemed impressive. The CPU is 37% faster than before, and the GPU performance has improved by 30% over its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Neural Processing Unit is a full 40% faster for those AI-dependent applications, another clear centerpiece in the Galaxy S25 series.
Year-Over-Year Gains
The partnership with Qualcomm has managed to grant Samsung a customized chipset for the hardware of the Galaxy S25. This Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is a lot better compared to the chip used last year, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which only had a humble increase in performance by 20%. This year, though, the jump in performance is a lot higher, considering the NPU gains are the same as the previous version.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip also boosts the Galaxy S25’s exclusive display features. Qualcomm and Samsung teamed up to bring in advanced technologies such as the ProScaler image scaling solution and mDNIe tech, which enhance efficiency and visual quality.
Cutting-Edge Camera and Efficiency
Another remarkable feature of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is its contribution to the camera capability of the Galaxy S25. The chip integrates STF technology into the image signal processor for better low-light video recording, and now, users can shoot 8K video at 30fps with increased sharpness, although this feature is also available on other variants of the chip.
Built on Qualcomm’s 3nm process, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is both faster and more energy-efficient. Translated into battery life, the Galaxy S25 series will use its juice more efficiently to provide users with more seamless and continuous interaction with the device.
A Top Dog
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip positions the Galaxy S25 series for the top slots regarding performance and AI capabilities. With huge year-over-year gains and a host of bleeding-edge features, Samsung isn’t slowing down in the mobile world. Watch this space for more updates on the Galaxy S25 and its cutting-edge chipset.