Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy S6 in the coming few months, with different rumors as to the processor of the device circulating.
The company first planned on using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC in the device; however recent reports suggest that the company will instead be using one of its own Exynos processors. But what does this mean for Samsung?
Samsung has been trying for a long time to rely less on other companies for its devices. The launch of its own processor line was seen as a rather large blow to companies like Qualcomm. However, even when the Exynos processors were launched, Samsung continued to use Qualcomm processors in its flagship devices.
Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of Samsung's partnership with Qualcomm in mobile processors. This is rather unlikely, however. Samsung reportedly wanted to use a Qualcomm chip in the Galaxy S6, however the company reportedly had issues with the device overheating, leading to its decision to instead use Exynos chips.
If Samsung was considering not using the Qualcomm processor at all, Qualcomm would think that the loss of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is a big one and it would lose a lot of money because of Samsung's decision, however Qualcomm as a company will be fine. In reality, it is more likely that Samsung will still use the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor in most markets and simply delay the launch of the device to allow Qualcomm to iron out its issue. In some markets, such as South Korea, the device will likely include the Exynos processor.
Hundreds of smartphone models use Qualcomm's chips for processing, including the likes of the Google Nexus 6, the HTC One M8, and so on. Not only that, but even if Samsung did give Qualcomm the boot this time around, it is likely that Samsung would reconsider Qualcomm as an option in the Galaxy S7.
Some have billed Qualcomm as the next Intel, largely because of the fact that it is so dominant in the mobile market and because of the growing importance in the mobile market.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 has been the subject of a lot of rumors of late. Late reports suggest that the upcoming device will include a 20MP camera with optical image stabilization, as well as 4GB of RAM and a display with curved edges. It is likely that the device will be announced in Mobile World Congress in March.
