Samsung Galaxy S23 could outstrip the Galaxy S22 by borrowing from cheap phones
Embrace the MediaTek
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TheSamsung Galaxy S23already sounds like a more interesting phone than theGalaxy S22, and it’s about 10 months away from release. In fact, it sounds like the most interesting new phone from the company since theGalaxy S10in 2019.
This is because of a report fromBusiness Korea, a Korean business website (surprisingly, given the name), which published an article detailing howSamsungis said to embrace MediaTek chipsets in its Galaxy S23, and also Galaxy S22 FE, phones.
Now, chipsets are a messy business for Samsung’s flagship phones. Unlike a company likeApple, which uses the same processors in everyone iPhone model around the world, Samsung currently has an odd split where certain regions get Galaxies with its own Exynos chipsets, and others get them packing chips from Qualcomm, the current top dog in the mobile processor world.
Business Korea says Samsung is considering throwing MediaTek’s chipsets into the mix, probably for phones sold in Asia, but will also use Qualcomm and its own processors for certain regions - that sounds pretty messy.
But while some Samsung phone fans might be wrinkling their noses at this rumor - one that has yet to be officially substantiated, we should make clear - it actually could mean huge things for the phones.
Analysis: why MediaTek is important
For the last few years, chipset maker MediaTek has been on a meteoric rise.
It used to push out low-end processors forcheap phones- in fact, its name on a specs list was usually a sign that the mobile would be pretty weak. But over 2020 and 2021 that changed, especially with the launch of its Dimensity line.
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Now, we’ve seen MediaTek Dimensity chips power some pretty impressive top-end phones, including versions of theXiaomi 12andOppo Find X5 Prolaunched in Asia. The chips can provide flagship-level processing power at lower costs, which makes the phones in turn more affordable.
However if Samsung used Dimensity chips for its Galaxy S23 phones, that would be a clear sign that MediaTek had transcended its cheap roots and become a real flagship player.
If that resulted in the Galaxy S23 being even more affordable, that’d mean great things for Samsung fans - and if the price stayed the same, it could instead balance out for bigger changes elsewhere.
Of course, it’s also possible that Samsung is simply struggling to build enough chips itself, given the global shortage, and instead is asking another company to help out. So we can’t for sure say that big changes are happening for the Galaxy S23 line, but it sounds like it could have some surprising changes from the S22s.
Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.
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