Samsung’s recently launched Galaxy A33 5G and Galaxy A53 5G phones are powered by its new Exynos 1280 chipset, and users looking to buy these phones might be wondering how the performance compares to other processors in the same category. For context, the previous-generation Galaxy A52 5G was powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, while the Galaxy A32 5G had a MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G processor.

Samsung smartphones and tablets are powered by chipsets from various manufacturers. A large percentage feature Snapdragon processors while some are powered by MediaTek chips. Lately, Samsung’s Exynos chipsets have become rare on its own devices, barring some flagships. What’s even more surprising is that Samsung has announced a few Exynos chips that have never even appeared in its phones. The Exynos 1080 that only features on Vivo phones is a perfect example.

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The Exynos 1280 is a 5nm processor with eight CPU cores. Samsung hasn’t published official details about the processor yet, but the Galaxy A53 5G’s official specifications confirm that the clock speeds are 2.4 GHz and 2 GHz. A Google Play Console listing via SamMobile reveals more details about the processor. It says the chipset has its CPU cores in a 2+6 cluster arrangement that includes two Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. It also has an Arm Mali-G68 GPU with four cores clocked at 1000 MHz.

Exynos 1280 Vs The Competition

Exynos 1280 details

Samsung claims that the Exynos 1280 brings a 6% increase in (CPU) performance, 33% faster graphics performance, and 43% faster neural performance over the Galaxy A52 5G which is powered by the Snapdragon 750G processor. This claim should hold true because the Snapdragon 750G is an 8nm chipset with the less powerful Cortex-A77 for its big cores. When compared to the 6nm Snapdragon 778G inside the Galaxy A52s 5G, the Exynos 1280 isn’t as powerful as the Qualcomm chip which has four Cortex-A78 big cores with one clocked at 2.4 GHz and the other three running at 2.2 GHz. The remaining four cores are Cortex-A55 CPUs clocked at 1.9 GHz. However, the Exynos 1280 has the advantage of greater power efficiency as it is built on a smaller 5nm process.

The Exynos 1280 is also more powerful than the Snapdragon 765G inside the Pixel 5a 5G which has two Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and 2.2 GHz respectively, and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. Surprisingly, the Exynos 1080, which might appear to be less powerful than the Exynos 1280 based on its name, is actually a superior chipset. Built on the 5nm EUV FinFET process, it has four Cortex-A78 cores — a prime core clocked at 2.8 GHz and three big cores clocked at 2.6 GHz. The other four cores are the same Cortex-A55 CPU with a 2.0 GHz clock speed. It also has a significantly more powerful Mali-G78 GPU. The closest chipset to the Exynos 1280 is MediaTek’s Dimensity 900 processor. Although it is a 6nm chip, it has the same 2+6 CPU cluster made up of two Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores, clocked at 2.4 GHz and 2.0 GHz, respectively. Its GPU is also the Mali-G68 but with a 900 MHz clock speed.

The Exynos 1280 is clearly capable enough for a mid-range chip based on its CPU and GPU. It also has the advantage of a smaller node size which should mean better power efficiency. When paired with a phone with a big battery such as the Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G’s 5,000 mAh cell, Samsung’s advertised 2-day battery life claim should hold true. If the processor’s real-world performance matches up, it could also appear in more mid-range smartphones from Samsung in the future.