Samsung drops Exynos chips on budget A-series, shifts to MediaTek or Snapdragon for A18

Samsung is reportedly dropping Exynos for Snapdragon and MediaTek in its next budget phones.

No more Exynos chip on entry-level A-series

Samsung appears to be overhauling its budget smartphone strategy. A report from South Korean outlet ZDNet Korea indicates the company will drop its in-house Exynos chipset entirely for the upcoming Galaxy A18, opting instead for processors from MediaTek and Qualcomm—a move reportedly tied to rising component costs industry-wide.

Two Variants, Two Chipmakers

Per the report, the Galaxy A18 will come in two versions: a 4G model powered by a MediaTek chip, and a 5G model running on a Qualcomm processor. The specific Snapdragon chipset has not yet been disclosed.

This marks a departure from the prior generation, where the Galaxy A17 5G shipped with Samsung's own 5nm Exynos 1330. 

Samsung has long used a regional split for its chipsets, with Qualcomm processors typically reserved for markets like North America, China, and Japan, and Exynos covering much of the rest of the world—a pattern that has applied to both flagship and A-series devices. 

Until now, the budget A-series lacked a Snapdragon option altogether, so if Samsung follows its established approach, U.S. buyers would likely receive the Snapdragon-based A18 5G.

The switch could be well received among A-series users, since the Exynos 1330 in the U.S. version of the Galaxy A17 5G has drawn criticism for sluggish performance under heavier workloads.

A key revenue driver

The A-series has been a major sales contributor for Samsung. The Galaxy A17 reportedly ranked as the best-selling Android phone globally in multiple quarters last year, outperforming pricier A-series models and even the flagship Galaxy S line. As of Q1 2026, it still held the No. 5 spot overall, just ahead of the lower-tier Galaxy A07 4G.

Production timeline

According to the report, mass production of the Galaxy A18 4G is set to begin in August, with planned monthly output of roughly 100,000 units in August, scaling to 2.4 million in September and 2.5 million in October. The Snapdragon-powered 5G variant is expected to launch later, likely due to Qualcomm's separate production schedule—with the 4G model debuting first in the second half of 2026, followed by the 5G version some weeks after.

Pricing still unknown

Whether Samsung can maintain competitive pricing remains an open question. The Galaxy A17 5G launched last year at PHP 9,290, offering a 6.7-inch 90Hz AMOLED display, a 5,000 mAh battery, and a 50MP main camera—specs widely seen as strong value for the price. If similar pricing holds for the Galaxy A18 despite the shift to Snapdragon and MediaTek chips, combined with the reported production volumes, the device could represent a significant revenue opportunity for Samsung.

The change also raises the possibility that Samsung could eventually extend a similar strategy to its flagship Galaxy S series, which currently maintains the regional Exynos/Snapdragon split.

What do you guys think?

Sources: ZDNet Korea via: PhoneArena