TL; DR
- Rumor has it that Samsung’s chip with AMD graphics won’t be exclusive to Galaxy devices.
- Vivo reportedly also uses the future Exynos processor.
- It’s supposedly very fast, although power consumption could be an issue.
Samsung may not keep the Exynos with AMD graphics entirely to itself. According to SamMobile, Weibo-leaker Arsenal claims that Vivo will use the high-end chip (possibly named Exynos 2200) in at least one high-end phone, suggesting the team-up won’t be Galaxy phones-exclusive.
Arsenal’s sources did not describe how Vivo would use the mashup of Samsung and AMD hardware, but claimed that the performance was “very powerful” – although power consumption could be high. It could use more power than the old Snapdragon 810, insiders claimed.
There was no mention of when Vivo could ship the phone. Earlier rumors suggest that Samsung and AMD could unveil their Exynos collaboration sometime in July.
See also: All AMD GPUs explained
There is no guarantee that Vivo will release a phone based on the Samsung and AMD partnership or that it will be generally available. Vivo used Exynos chips in Chinese versions of the X60 and X60 Pro, but switched to the Snapdragon 870 for international versions.
Still, this could be welcome news if you’re curious to see how Samsung and AMD fare in a partnership. AMD has promised that the chip will offer features you normally only see in computer-oriented GPUs, including ray tracing and variable rate shading. These could be some of the first phones to offer modern GPU capabilities and open the door to more realistic graphics and ports from games that were previously banned in the mobile space.
The challenge, of course, is that the industry does not stand still. It’s not yet clear what Qualcomm, Apple, and other phone chip manufacturers will be offering when Samsung and AMD are ready. This future Exynos may not seem quite as powerful if it arrives late enough that the rivals have already caught up.