In a surprising development that could signal a shift in Samsung’s chipset strategy, a new leak has suggested that the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE (Fan Edition) may be powered by MediaTek’s yet-to-be-launched Dimensity 9400 SoC. This move, if confirmed, would mark a significant departure from Samsung’s historical preference for its in-house Exynos processors or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line in its flagship and FE devices.

A Strategic Shift?

According to sources cited by industry insiders on Chinese social media platforms and corroborated by tech bloggers with reliable track records, Samsung is considering MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 chipset for at least some variants of the Galaxy S25 FE. The Dimensity 9400 is expected to be built on TSMC’s advanced second-generation 3nm process, promising significant gains in both performance and power efficiency.

While Samsung has occasionally used MediaTek chips in entry-level models, such as those in the Galaxy A series, equipping an FE model — which typically blends flagship-tier performance with a more affordable price tag — with a MediaTek flagship SoC would be an unprecedented move.

What We Know About the Dimensity 9400

Although MediaTek has yet to officially unveil the Dimensity 9400, leaks suggest the chipset will feature ARM’s latest Cortex-X5 prime core along with next-gen Cortex-A7 series performance and efficiency cores. This combination is expected to deliver substantial improvements in CPU and GPU performance over the Dimensity 9300, potentially rivaling or surpassing Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

Early benchmark leaks of the 9400 point to impressive results, particularly in multi-core tasks and sustained GPU loads, which could translate into strong real-world performance for gaming and multitasking.

What It Means for the Galaxy S25 FE

The Galaxy S25 FE is expected to launch in late 2025 as a more budget-friendly alternative to the flagship Galaxy S25 series, which will likely feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Exynos 2500 variants, depending on region. The inclusion of the Dimensity 9400 could help Samsung reduce production costs without compromising too much on performance — a key factor for the success of its FE models.

Moreover, this potential shift could be a strategic response to growing competition in the mid-premium smartphone segment, where brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, and OnePlus have been aggressively using MediaTek’s high-end chips to deliver strong performance at lower prices.

Regional Variants Likely

It’s also worth noting that Samsung has a history of releasing different SoC variants of the same phone in different regions. The Galaxy S25 FE might ship with the Dimensity 9400 in select Asian markets, while other regions may still see Qualcomm or Exynos-powered versions, depending on carrier deals and supply chain logistics.

Awaiting Confirmation

As of now, Samsung has not commented on the rumors, and MediaTek has not officially announced the Dimensity 9400. If this leak proves accurate, it could signal a broader shift in the smartphone chipset landscape — one where MediaTek increasingly becomes a go-to choice even for premium-tier devices.

Until an official announcement is made, these details should be taken with a grain of caution. However, the increasing credibility of the sources involved gives this particular leak more weight than usual.