We’ve been hearing for a while that the chipset that will power most of the best Android phones of 2025 could be seriously expensive, and now there’s even more evidence of that – suggesting that devices like the Samsung Galaxy S25 line in turn could well cost more than their predecessors.
According to leaker Digital chat station post on Weibo (via Android Authority), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 costs about 20% more than its predecessor.
We’d take this with a grain of salt, but this is a leak with a good track record, and we’ve heard a similar claim elsewhere about the price of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Additionally, Qualcomm itself has previously said that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will probably cost more than the 8 Gen 3.
However, what a 20% dollar increase would amount to is less clear. Today’s leak suggests the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will cost around $190, but an earlier leak – which also pointed to a 20% increase from last year – said the price would be around $240.
Price increases for many of the top Android phones
Still, an increase of some amount seems likely, and there’s a good chance the price increase will be passed on to consumers, meaning the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, the OnePlus 13, the Sony Xperia 1 VII, and other Android flagships will all cost more could cost. than their predecessors.
Interestingly, today’s leak states that the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 will also cost around 20% more than the previous flagship MediaTek chipset. That still means a lower overall price than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. But it also means that even if companies were to consider moving to MediaTek to reduce costs, they might not be able to keep costs as low as a MediaTek chipset usually. would.
Still, the good news about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 at least is that it could be a hugely powerful chipset, with an early Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmark suggesting it might even beat the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro.