Samsung starts developing processors for Galaxy phones, catching up with Apple, sources say

According to BusinessKorea, Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division has started developing an application processor (AP) specifically for Galaxy smartphones. The South Korean tech giant is imitating Apple, which has built its own ecosystem for the iPhone with A-series processors.

 
According to reports, Samsung plans to develop a dedicated AP for Galaxy smartphones by 2025. IT House learned that, in addition to its own Exynos series processors, Samsung's smartphones also use processors from Qualcomm and Taiwan's MediaTek. Recently, with the Galaxy S22 series embroiled in a controversy related to the Game Optimization Service (GOS), there has been growing voice within Samsung for the development of high-performance, low-power dedicated APs.

Samsung executives say the company should speed up the creation of an ecosystem based on smartphone APs. Apple's iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook use their own APs, so the operating systems (OS) and software of these devices are compatible.

Samsung Electronics decided to develop an application processor (AP) for the Galaxy series because of a growing sense of crisis between the DS business unit in charge of semiconductors and the MX business unit in charge of mobile devices. The DS business unit must increase its share of the system semiconductor market, while the MX business unit needs to expand its presence in the high-end smartphone market dominated by Apple.

According to reports, Samsung's DS business unit is making a big bet on the development of the AP. Experts say the company's Exynos APs aren't technically bad, but they're not good enough to catch up with market players like Apple and Qualcomm. According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung Electronics ranks fourth in the global AP market with a market share of 6.6% in 2021. Qualcomm has the highest market share at 37.7%, followed by MediaTek (26.3%) and Apple (26%). Chinese smartphone makers have also started developing their own APs.