What happened? As reported by Chosun MediaSamsung has officially reorganized part of its semiconductor division and formed a special custom SoC development team. This represents a move away from simply licensing standard ARM CPU cores. Instead, Samsung is now investing in building its own chip architecture, which includes CPU cores, AI/Neural units and system-on-chip (SoC) design. The move is intended to bring Samsung on par with companies like Apple and Qualcomm, which have long pushed custom silicon strategies.
- The new team is part of Samsung’s System LSI division, with SoC veteran Park Bong-il taking the lead.
- Previously, Samsung used standard ARM CPU cores for its Exynos chips. This custom SoC initiative could change that, allowing Samsung to develop CPU, GPU, NPU and other blocks in-house.
- The plan doesn’t just apply to internal devices, as Samsung could also offer customized chips to external customers, transforming itself into a full-chip design agency.
- Samsung already has foundry capabilities, including advanced manufacturing processes, that give it a chance to compete with the largest chipmakers.
Why this is important: If that works, Samsung’s next phones could feel more refined, efficient and uniquely optimized than anything that’s come before. Custom chips mean Samsung can tailor performance, heat, battery, camera, AI and pretty much everything to its own hardware and software instead of playing catch-up. It could also shake up the mobile chip landscape.
Additionally, the dominance of a few chip suppliers could weaken as Samsung emerges as a chip maker and foundry. This could lead to more innovation, better optimization and perhaps even more price competition. For users, this could finally bridge the gap between Android devices and “silicon-built” phones that offer smoother performance, longer battery life, and tighter integration.
Why should I care? This could finally mean buying a Samsung phone that truly feels “made by Samsung” from the inside out. Custom chips allow Samsung to refine its own devices in specific ways, which could lead to smoother performance, better efficiency and fewer compromises between regions where Snapdragon and Exynos once felt disparate. Put simply, future Samsung phones may no longer feel like tuned Android devices, but rather feel like tightly integrated machines built on their own silicon. Similar to what Apple users already like.
Okay, what’s next? For now, this is a behind-the-scenes move and not something you’ll see on store shelves tomorrow. The real clues will emerge in leaks, benchmarks and launch events over the next year or two. If you’re planning on upgrading soon, you probably won’t feel the effects yet, but if you’re the type that upgrades every few years, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.
