Samsung could disappoint fans waiting for the Galaxy S25 FE

Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 FE in October 2024. In our opinion, it was a phone that provided proper fan service by giving users a competent option in case they don’t want to spend a lot of money on the flagship Galaxy S24. We’ve spotted clues indicating that Samsung is working on a successor, presumably called the Galaxy S25 FE if it continues the nomenclature, and could come with the same Exynos 2400e processor. Samsung also plans to repeat the Exynos 1380 processor it used on the India-specific Galaxy M35 5G on its successor, presumably the Galaxy M36 5G.

Galaxy S25 FE could come with Exynos 2400e processor

We previously revealed the existence of the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro, as well as the processors that could be used on those devices. This information was correct, as Samsung officially launched both devices with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC.

Now, we’ve found code from the same reliable sources indicating that Samsung has been working on the Galaxy S25 FE, which could come with the Exynos 2400e processor.

Samsung has internal codenames for its Galaxy smartphones and tablets, with the “R” series typically being the FE smartphones. R9 is said to be the Galaxy S21 FE, R10 was said to be the unreleased Galaxy S22 FE, R11 is the S23 FE (with two SoC variants listed, Qualcomm and Exynos), and R12 is the current-generation Galaxy S24 FE.

It’s fair to presume that Samsung could continue the internal codename, which means the R13 is the Galaxy S25 FE, or whatever marketing name Samsung adopts for the device when it reaches the market.

Interestingly, the R12 and R13 use the S5e9945 processor, which is the part number of the Samsung Exynos 2400/2400e processor. Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 FE in October 2024 with the Exynos 2400e processor, and these clues indicate that the successor, the Galaxy S25 FE, could retain the same chip. We also expect Samsung to use the same processor on the presumed Galaxy Z Flip FE.

The Exynos 2400e isn’t a bad chip per se. However, it already lagged behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in performance, and the gap significantly widened against the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s fair to presume that the gap will only increase further against Qualcomm’s next Snapdragon flagship SoC. If the Galaxy S25 FE launches in October 2025, it would end up quite far behind the top dogs in performance.

Galaxy M36 5G could come with Exynos 1380 processor

The same code also indicates that the India-specific Galaxy M36 5G could come with the Exynos 1380 processor.

The “M” internal codename here belongs to the Amazon India-exclusive Galaxy M series. We already know that the Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy M34 5G use the Exynos 1280, which matches the part number S5e8825. The S5e8835 is the part number for the Samsung Exynos 1380 5G, also already used in the Galaxy M35 5G.

The Exynos 1380 processor was released in 2023 and continues to be extensively used on several of Samsung’s budget and mid-range smartphones, including the Galaxy A54 5G, the Galaxy A35 5G, the Galaxy A26 5G, and the Galaxy M54. So Samsung looks in no mood to change the processor here, likely sticking with the Exynos 1380 for the Galaxy M36 5G.

Samsung hasn’t yet spoken about the Galaxy S25 FE or the Galaxy M36 5G. We’ll have to wait for more leaks or an official announcement to learn more about these upcoming phones.