Samsung Galaxy S23 uses Qualcomm chips globally with upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Ben Schoon | Feb 1 2023 - 10:02 am PT

Samsung just announced the Galaxy S23 series, and for the first time, the company’s flagship is using Qualcomm chips on a global scale with “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.”

Qualcomm Snapdragon has long been the undisputed best in the business when it comes to chipsets for Android smartphones, and the company’s top-tier chips generally power most flagship Android smartphones each year. But in Samsung’s case, there’s always been a bit of a mix, as many Galaxy S devices have split the use of the latest Snapdragon chip with Samsung’s own Exynos chips, varying what gets used depending on the region.

This year, however, Samsung is going all in on Snapdragon.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is being powered solely by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on every model sold around the globe. In a brief statement, Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon said:

Our strong strategic partnership with Samsung is a result of our mutual commitment to innovation and delivering the world’s best smartphone experiences to consumers. We are thrilled to have Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy power the Galaxy S23 series globally.

The Galaxy S23 series will also be using an exclusive version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, called the “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.” This special version of the chip will be the fastest one available in smartphones, with improvements to both “CPU and GPU frequencies,” Qualcomm said in an email to 9to5Google.

For the CPU, that is represented in the 3.36GHz clock speed, up from 3.2GHz on the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, Qualcomm declined to comment on specifics for the GPU clock speed on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy compared to the standard version. Qualcomm does say that the upgraded Adreno GPU is “significantly improved in both performance and power efficiency.”

Qualcomm also confirmed that the Galaxy S23 series is using the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2, the same sensor used in Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S23 series are open today, with pricing starting at $799 and up to $150 in extra credit with your pre-order when using our link.