The Samsung Galaxy S25 chipset could come with extra Google AI included
Can we borrow your TPU?
While we're big fans of the Samsung Galaxy S24, we're also keen to see what the Samsung Galaxy S25 brings with it next year, and the latest rumor to catch our attention suggests that the phone's chipset might come with added Google AI.
As per tipster @OreXda (via GSMArena), Samsung's own Exynos 2500 processor – tipped to appear in at least some of the Galaxy S25 models – is going to come with a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) designed by Google.
The TPU is essentially the part of the chipset that handles AI tasks, in a similar way to how the GPU (graphics processing unit) handles visuals. The more AI processing a phone can do locally, the faster the experience, and the less data needs to be sent off to the cloud.
Reading between the lines, the suggestion is that Samsung thinks Google can do the best job when it comes to this particular chipset component. It would mean the Galaxy AI on board the Galaxy S25 would be even more impressive than it is already, in theory.
Exynos vs Snapdragon
It's always a bit of a guessing game as to how Samsung will equip its flagship Galaxy S series in terms of its own chipsets and those provided by Qualcomm. It went all-in with Qualcomm for the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, while the Galaxy S24 models only used Qualcomm CPUs in the US, Canada, and China (with the exception of the Ultra).
We have heard that the Galaxy S25 phones are going to use Exynos 2500 CPUs exclusively, though more recent leaks have cast doubt on that. If Qualcomm is involved next year, it raises the question of how Samsung will make sure there's no AI performance difference between the Exynos 2500 (plus Google's TPU) and the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
What we do know is that phone makers are eager to stuff as much artificial intelligence as possible into their handsets at the moment. It's a key feature of the Google Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, with their Tensor G3 processors – which are manufactured by Samsung, by the way.
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For the time being, Google and Samsung seem happy enough to work together on AI features, including the Circle to Search feature available on the latest Samsung and Google phones. Next year that might extend to the Exynos 2500 chip as well.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.