Samsung is accelerating the development of its next-generation budget smartphones, with the spotlight firmly on the Galaxy A18 series. Recent reports from South Korean media reveal that the tech giant has finalized its processor strategy for the devices, marking a significant departure from past practices.

Notably, Samsung is set to completely abandon its homegrown Exynos chips for the Galaxy A18 5G. Instead, the company will pivot to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, while the 4G variant will continue its partnership with MediaTek.

Historically, the South Korean firm has relied heavily on its in-house Exynos silicon to optimize manufacturing costs in the entry-level segment. However, this precedent is about to be broken. By delegating the 5G hardware to Qualcomm and the 4G counterpart to MediaTek, Samsung is effectively handing over the performance engine of this popular lineup to foreign partners.

While exact specifications regarding the specific Snapdragon or MediaTek chipsets remain under wraps, supply chain sources indicate that component production for the 4G model has officially been greenlit. Meanwhile, the 5G production lines are expected to roll out as soon as Qualcomm completes its initial supply deliveries.

This strategy represents a massive shift compared to the previous generation. The A17 4G hit the shelves powered by the Helio G99, while the 5G model utilized Samsung's own Exynos 1330. Abandoning its in-house chip strategy suggests that Samsung is radically recalculating its performance equation to stay competitive against fierce pressure from Chinese rivals in the budget tier.

According to the current roadmap, the A18 4G will enter mass production this August. The tech giant is taking a cautious approach, planning an initial shipment of around 100,000 units to test market reception. Production will then aggressively ramp up to 2.4 million units in September, peaking at 2.5 million in October. These targets, however, remain flexible and will be adjusted based on actual consumer demand.

Industry insiders add that Samsung will officially unveil the new lineup late this year, with the 4G version likely hitting the market first. For Samsung, the Galaxy A1x segment has always been a reliable cash cow, historically shouldering the lion's share of the company's global production and market dominance.