Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 may escape the chip shortage, but this won't apply to all consumers.
A recent leak suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in certain regions, moving away from the Exynos-only strategy employed by Samsung for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year.
A one-year Exynos experiment
Last year, Samsung fully committed to Exynos for the Z Flip 7, omitting Snapdragon from its flip phone offerings for the first time. According to a new leak from tipster Lanzuk on Naver, the company may revert to using a Qualcomm chip in some markets.
This change appears to be financially motivated, as the leak indicates that the Exynos 2600 is costly to manufacture, while Qualcomm allegedly provided a more competitive price for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the Flip 8. Consequently, Samsung is expected to implement a dual-chip strategy, similar to its long-standing practice with the Galaxy S series, where Snapdragon models are available in markets like the US, while Exynos models are distributed in Europe and elsewhere. The specific distribution details for the Flip 8 have not yet been disclosed.
What else to expect
The shift in processors is one of the few significant updates anticipated for a phone that appears to be a minor refresh based on current leaks. Preliminary reports about the Galaxy Z Flip 8 indicate it may have a slightly slimmer fold due to a redesigned hinge, while the battery size and camera specifications are likely to remain unchanged from the Flip 7. Samsung has not yet confirmed any technical details, but further information is expected to emerge in the weeks leading up to the anticipated late July launch.
The return of a Snapdragon version may provide some enthusiasm for US consumers regarding the Galaxy Z Flip 8. However, Samsung will need to offer more than just a hardware change to significantly impact a device that, thus far, seems to opt for safe and incremental enhancements.
Other articles
Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 may escape the chip shortage, but this won't apply to all consumers.
According to a recent leak, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 is expected to adopt a split-chip approach, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in certain markets and the Exynos 2600 in others.
