Samsung drops Exynos for Galaxy A18, adopts Snapdragon and MediaTek chips

Samsung announced it will no longer equip the upcoming Galaxy A18 series with its in‑house Exynos processors. The 4G version will use a MediaTek chipset, while the 5G model will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon. The move follows criticism of the Exynos 1330 used in the current Galaxy A17, which was deemed under‑performing in demanding Android apps and games.

The decision highlights Samsung’s challenges in developing competitive low‑cost SoCs amid a wider memory‑chip shortage. The Galaxy A17, priced from about 750 RON in Romania, has been a top‑selling Android phone globally, ranking among the best‑selling models in multiple quarters last year. By switching to external processors, Samsung hopes to improve performance for users considering an upgrade from older Galaxy A devices.