Qualcomm has apparently confirmed recent rumors that Samsung would be dropping its Snapdragon 810 from the next-generation Galaxy S6 smartphone.
For some context, just recently word came out that Samsung has tested the new Snapdragon 810 and ultimately decided to use an in-house Exynos processor for its upcoming Galaxy S6, as Qualcomm's chip was overheating. Up until that point, the general expectation was that the Galaxy S6 would pack a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor under the hood.
Fast forward to present date, and Qualcomm may have just confirmed that rumor. More specifically, as Re/code reports, Qualcomm cut its financial outlook for the current fiscal year, mentioning that a large customer had dropped the Snapdragon 810 from its next-generation flagship. While Qualcomm did not specifically mention whether Samsung is the customer in question, the news does fall in line with the previous rumor.
So far, Samsung has been one of Qualcomm's biggest customers, and it would make sense for the chipmaker to adjust its revenue expectations if such a big player is no longer on board.
On the other hand, this doesn't necessarily mean that all Samsung Galaxy S6 units will pack an in-house Samsung Exynos processor. The company may choose to equip a large majority of units with an Exynos processor, but still pack Qualcomm chips in a smaller batch of Galaxy S6 smartphones.
At the same time, this would not only mark a big change for Qualcomm, but for Samsung as well. The smartphone maker has been using Exynos chips for years, but only in select versions of its flagships, depending on market. In the U.S., Samsung has never released an Exynos-powered flagship. So far, North American and European variants of Samsung flagships have shipped with Qualcomm chips under the hood, while models for Asia and South America shipped with Exynos.
The next-generation Samsung Galaxy S6 is expected to make its official debut this spring, but no spec details are officially confirmed at this point. If Samsung does bank on Exynos for the vast majority of its Galaxy S6 units in all markets, including versions for the U.S., it remains to be seen whether consumer interest will be affected by this change.
