Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy: How Samsung Took the Lead
Let’s look at what really happened. Qualcomm released what they called their most powerful mobile chip ever, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. But they didn’t stop there. A custom version of the chip was specially made for Samsung, known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. And Samsung wasted no time; they rolled it out across their entire Galaxy S25 lineup, the standard S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, and even the S25 Edge globally.
Yes, other manufacturers also used the chip in their flagship devices. But truth be told, it’s Samsung that gave the chip its full weight this year. They’re the ones who pushed it out to the world in a serious way.
The Numbers Say It All
By the end of May 2025, Samsung had sold a total of 16.61 million units of the S25 series worldwide. Let’s break that down:
- Galaxy S25: 4.86 million units
- Galaxy S25+: 3.17 million units
- Galaxy S25 Ultra: 8.39 million units
- Galaxy S25 Edge: 190,000 units
And all of these devices were powered by just one chip — the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.
Now, here’s the part that stands out: every other phone brand combined, using the same Snapdragon 8 Elite, still didn’t sell up to what Samsung alone sold. One company. One phone series. And they outperformed the entire competition using the same chip.
Qualcomm’s Real Winner Was Samsung
What does this mean? Qualcomm ended up shipping more units of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy to Samsung than it shipped the regular Elite version to all other smartphone brands combined. So when you look at who really gave that chip its success, the answer is clear — Samsung.
That’s why, at the Snapdragon Summit, when the chip was officially launched, Samsung’s MX president, TM Roh, was warmly received. And rightly so. Samsung is not just a customer to Qualcomm, they’re a major partner.
However, there’s something Qualcomm must watch closely. Samsung is slowly reintroducing its Exynos chipsets into the market. If that gains momentum, it might shift the entire equation — and Qualcomm knows that very well.
