Samsung partnering with AMD to develop a next-gen Exynos mobile chip — and it comes with ray-tracing

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Samsung and AMD's next-generation Exynos mobile chip to use RDNA 2 technology

AMD Ryzen
(Image credit: AMD)

AMD reveals Samsung's next flagship Exynos mobile chip will feature its RDNA 2 architecture, bringing ray tracing and variable rate shading features to smartphone devices.

Announced at Computex Taipei (via The Verge), Samsung and AMD have partnered up to develop the next Exynos mobile system on a chip (SoC), which is expected to give Samsung Galaxy smartphones (and possible future Galaxy laptops) a significant upgrade in graphics. 

AMD CEO Lisa Su states the semiconductor company will bring "custom graphics IP to Samsung’s next flagship mobile SoC with ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities." This suggests Samsung's Galaxy S22 will be a mobile gaming powerhouse.

The announcement didn't specify when the next-generation Exynos chip will be launched, but Su states Samsung will provide "more details later this year.”

AMD plans to bring its RDNA 2 to the high-performance mobile phone market, with Samsung devices being the first to feature the highly-regarded ray tracing and variable rate shading tech.

Currently, Samsung uses both its own Exynos and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips in its flagship Galaxy S21 smartphones. However, with the new graphics power coming to the Exynos SoC, the Korean tech giant could get rid of Qualcomm altogether. 

Samsung's Exynos chip for laptops

Previous reports claim Samsung is also set to release a flagship Exynos chip for an upcoming Galaxy laptop, pointing out that the tech company has partnered with AMD to develop the laptop. With AMD's recent Computex announcement, this could be the same Exynos chip that will be used in smartphones.

According to sources speaking to Korea Economic Daily, the upcoming laptop processor from Samsung will use 5-nanometer processing technology, offering everything from improved functionality, battery efficiency, and “extraordinary computing power.”

If the report is anything to go by, Samsung is looking to follow in Apple’s footsteps by launching its own version of the ARM-based M1 chip. Since the rumored Exynos SoC is expected to work with smartphones and laptops alike, it could compete with Apple’s recently announced iPad Pro 2021. 

Darragh Murphy
Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.