Samsung’s Exynos lineup used to be a household name in the smartphone world. Once upon a time, they competed toe-to-toe with Qualcomm, Mediatek, and even Apple. But in recent years? This hasn’t been the case. After the disastrous Exynos 990 and the lukewarm Exynos 2200, Samsung has been struggling to win back user trust. Now, they’ve returned with the Exynos 2500—a 3nm flagship SoC meant to fix all their past mistakes. But does it deliver? Well…
Meet the Exynos 2500
The Exynos 2500 is Samsung’s latest premium chipset, launched in 2025 and built on their 3nm process. It’s aimed squarely at the flagship segment and is expected to appear in select variants of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7, particularly in Samsung’s home markets like Korea and India.
On paper, this chip should be a beast. It features cutting-edge ARMv9.2 cores, a GPU co-developed with AMD, and support for just about every high-end feature you can think of. But as we all know, paper specs don’t always translate into real-world performance.
Exynos 2500 Specs
| Specs | Samsung Exynos 2500 |
|---|---|
| CPU Cores |
|
| GPU | Xclipse 950 (1.3GHz, RDNA 3.5) |
| Process | 3nm (Samsung SF3) |
| ISA | ARMv9.2-A |
| RAM | LPDDR5X @ 9600Mbps |
| Storage | UFS 4.0 / 4.1 |
| Display | Up to 3840×2160 (4K) |
| Camera Support | Up to 200MP |
| Video | 8K @ 30fps, 4K @ 120fps |
| AI Engine | Yes (56 TOPS NPU) |
| Modem | 5G Sub-6 + mmWave, LTE Cat 24 |
| Bluetooth | v5.4 |
| WiFi | WiFi 7 |
| Geek Bench | 2012 (single) / 7563 (multi) |
| AnTuTu | 2,213,797 |
Performance: Strong Cores, Underwhelming Output
Samsung is finally using ARM’s latest cores: the Cortex-X925 and Cortex-X725, along with the efficient A520s. This puts it on the same architectural level as the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Dimensity 9400+ and the XRING O1. But here’s the kicker: the clock speeds are lower than expected, especially the Cortex-X925, which runs at just 3.3GHz compared to XRING O1’s 3.9GHz.
Despite having 10 cores and a solid layout, the Exynos 2500 scores just 2012 (single core) and 7563 (multi core) on GeekBench 6 whilst hitting around 2.2 million on AnTuTu. That’s actually a very great performance but it pales in comparison when compared to the competition. It sits well below the Dimensity 9400 (~2.8 Million), Snapdragon 8 Elite (~2.8M) and especially the XRING O1 (~2.7M).
Verdict: Underwhelming for a 3nm flagship. Looks like Samsung still needs to work on thermal and performance tuning.
GPU: RDNA 3.5, But Not Revolutionary
Samsung once again partnered with AMD for their GPU. The Xclipse 950 is based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, and clocks in at 1.3GHz. Sounds powerful, but the GPU score on AnTuTu is just under 930,000—roughly equivalent to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from 2023. That’s not what you want to see in a 2025 flagship.
Verdict: Nice idea, poor execution. The RDNA magic just hasn’t kicked in yet.
RAM and Storage: No Problems Here
Samsung didn’t skimp on memory and storage. The Exynos 2500 supports blazing-fast LPDDR5X RAM (up to 9600Mbps) and the latest UFS 4.1 storage. These are top-tier specs that should ensure fast multitasking and quick app loading times.
Verdict: This is flagship-grade, no complaints.
Display and Camera: All the Bells and Whistles
Samsung’s ISP supports up to 200MP sensors and can record video at 8K@30fps or 4K@120fps. For displays, it can push 4K resolution at high refresh rates. This makes the Exynos 2500 perfect for premium foldables like the Z Fold 7.
Verdict: On par with the best in the industry.
Connectivity: Fully Loaded
As expected, the Exynos 2500 supports everything: 5G (both sub-6GHz and mmWave), Cat 24 LTE, Bluetooth 5.4, and WiFi 7. So in terms of network and wireless capabilities, it’s keeping up with Qualcomm and Mediatek just fine.
Verdict: No compromises here.
Conclusion: Still Not There Yet
The Exynos 2500 had one job: help Samsung catch up to Snapdragon, Xiaomi, Mediatek, and Apple. And while it looks good on paper—with a 3nm process, modern cores, and AMD graphics—it still doesn’t match up in real-world performance. The CPU clocks are too low, the GPU is still lagging, and the benchmark scores are mid.
If anything, this chip shows how far Samsung has fallen behind. The XRING O1, a debut chipset, is already outpacing it. Snapdragon is sprinting ahead, Mediatek is catching up, and Apple still finds ways to compete.
Many Samsung fans had hoped that this would be the comeback. Sadly, it looks more like another year of excuses.
Verdict: Better than Exynos 2400, but still not enough. The gap is growing. And time is running out.
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