Samsung seems to be really moving away from Qualcomm. Remember those talks about Samsung no longer using Qualcomm products because of overheating issues? The South Korean giant didn’t use a Snapdragon on the new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. The company decided to utilize its Exynos chipset instead. That decision makes senses but we’re hearing reports that Samsung is in discussion already with MediaTek–a long time rival of Qualcomm.
Samsung is believed to use MediaTek’s processors on Tizen-powered devices already but there is a possibility that the company will also use them on future Galaxy smartphones. According to Taiwanese media, the deal will soon be finalized. As usual, Samsung is mum on the subject. We’re only hearing from MediaTek’s end as shared by General Manager Zhu Shan-gzu who said that their company has already “made progress little by little in some direction”.
I don’t doubt that Samsung may be working with MediaTek because the latter’s mobile SoCs are worth the price. They are affordable but still offer great performance and Samsung could use them on budget to mid-range smartphones. As for Exynos, Samsung could be using its own brand for high-end models.
MediaTek also released a premium product this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Helio is a new chipset targeted for premium smartphones. This is one of the many steps MediaTek is taking to expand into the international market and hopefully, partner with more international brands. This Helio line will include the X-series and P-series octa-core chips for high-end and mid-end mobile devices, respectively.
VIA: SamMobile
SOURCE: CTIMES News
This really changes things. The initial assumption was that Samsung was using its own processors to replace Qualcomm entirely. Looks like that was only partially true.