Samsung’s foldable future might not be as Exynos-powered as some had hoped. Despite reports suggesting that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 could ship with the Exynos 2500, new information indicates that yield issues will likely keep Samsung’s latest in-house chip off the company’s flagship clamshell foldable. Instead, the Flip 7 is now expected to launch with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, the same chip found in the Galaxy S25 series.
Exynos 2500 Faces Setback
Samsung Foundry had been riding a wave of optimism after finally stabilizing its 3nm process, fueling hopes that the Exynos 2500 could compete with Qualcomm’s best. Early Z Flip 7 prototypes were reportedly running on Exynos 2500 silicon, signaling Samsung’s confidence in its latest chip. But now, those prototypes seem to have vanished, replaced by versions rocking Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chip.
Samsung has been aggressively pushing to bring Exynos back into its high-end lineup after relying heavily on Qualcomm in recent years. The company had originally planned to equip the Galaxy S25 and S25+ with the Exynos 2500, but low yields at Samsung Foundry forced it to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite across the entire lineup. Those same yield problems appear to be affecting the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s development.
Currently, Samsung is reportedly producing only around 5,000 Exynos 2500 chips per month, a number far too small to meet the demand for a mainstream foldable like the Z Flip 7. Unless the foundry can dramatically scale up production before the phone’s expected release later this year, Samsung has no choice but to stick with Qualcomm’s silicon.
That doesn’t mean the Exynos 2500 will sit on the sidelines entirely. Some reports suggest Samsung may still use the chip in the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip FE, a more affordable foldable that could see a limited release. The lower sales volume of an FE model would make it a better candidate for a chipset with supply constraints.
Meanwhile, Samsung is already eyeing the Exynos 2600, its next-gen 2nm chip, for the Galaxy S26 series. But if current manufacturing struggles persist, Samsung’s ambitions for a fully in-house flagship experience could remain out of reach for another year.
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