You might not believe it, but Exynos-powered smartphones are good now

I remember the dismay Samsung caused by having two different chipsets in its flagship Galaxy phones. If you lived in the US or Korea, your Samsung Galaxy smartphone was powered by the almighty Snapdragon. However, if you lived in Europe, your Galaxy device was powered by Exynos, Samsung's in-house chipset. There was no discount between variants, as Samsung considered the Exynos devices as capable as those featuring a Snapdragon.

Users disagreed, with many complaining that the Exynos version suffered from worse battery life, lower performance, and overheating. My experience with previous Exynos phones was less than pleasant. I witnessed many slowdowns and poor battery life that plagued others. I understood why people complained when having to pay the same money for phones with an inferior chipset. But then, things started to change.

The Galaxy A53 made me cry

I've never wanted to throw a phone before

I was excited when the Galaxy A53 came in for review. The Galaxy A52 was a fan favorite, with decent performance and Samsung software making it a midrange hit, and I expected more of the same from the A53. While a Snapdragon-powered the Galaxy A52, Samsung switched to an Exynos 1280 for the Galaxy A53. I thought nothing of it, figuring I would get comparable power and performance. I was wrong.

Most phones experience lag during setup, so I initially discounted the problems I encountered with the Galaxy A53. Unfortunately, they never disappeared, and micro stutters and slowdowns became my reality with the Galaxy A53. If I received too many notifications at once, the device would seize up. I also never got the battery performance I expected from a cell that size. It was a disappointing phone, and I quickly preferred the Google Pixel 6a in the same price range.

Samsung completely changed how I view Exynos-powered devices with the Galaxy A55.

Signs of life with the Galaxy A55

Samsung managed to get Exynos in line

I already knew Samsung was improving its Exynos chipsets because the Galaxy A54 was a solid phone. It featured an Exynos 1380, and while it still exhibited some drawbacks, the experience was pleasant, resulting in it being one of our favorite midrange devices. I loved my time with the phone and found it held up well over a year, with updates from Samsung improving battery life and performance.

However, Samsung completely changed how I view Exynos-powered devices with the Galaxy A55. It features fantastic battery life, solid performance, and limited overheating, addressing almost every complaint of previous chipsets. The micro stutters that plagued the Galaxy A53 are gone, and I've had nothing but positive things to say about the Exynos 1480 under the hood of the Galaxy A55.

If Samsung is going to convince us that Exynos-powered phones are worth the same as Snapdragon-driven contemporaries, we need to see this trend continue in the right direction. But so far, so good, and the Galaxy A55 remains one of the best smartphone deals if it's available in your country.

You're going to see more of Exynos

Samsung shifted away, but it's coming back

Samsung has shied away from Exynos chipsets in the past few years, opting for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its flagship line and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Galaxy S23 FE. However, Samsung is turning to the Exynos 2400e for the Galaxy S24 FE, hoping it will provide enough upper mid-range power to keep us happy. With Galaxy AI and wireless DeX coming to the S24 FE, it'll be interesting to see how well the Exynos 2400e keeps up.

Read our review

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE: A not-quite diamond in the rough

Don't let this phone get lost in the mid-range crowd

In addition, we've heard that Samsung has been designing a new Exynos chipset to power its Galaxy S25 lineup. I'm sure we'll see a Snapdragon stateside, but European customers might again find themselves with an Exynos variant. I can't make any promises, but I'm hoping Samsung learned its lesson and that its in-house chipset will cause less consternation than it did in the past.

Samsung designing its chipsets is a good thing

As we've seen with Apple and Huawei, there are benefits to manufacturing your own silicon. Including features specific to your hardware is easier, and tighter integration improves the software experience. Updates are also better for longer, with companies able to optimize future software versions for their chipsets. I agree that Samsung should be making its chips, and I hope the implementation keeps following the upward trend I've seen in the Galaxy A55.