New Chip Will Make Samsung’s Next Galaxy Smartphone Twice as Powerful as Predecessor

When Samsung unveils the third-generation of its flagship Galaxy S smartphone next week — presumably the Galaxy S III — the device will sport a brand new chip: the Exynos 4 Quad.

Based on the ARM Cortex A9, the chip is both powerful and efficient. It runs at 1.4 gigahertz and is designed to enable heavy-load applications like 3-D games and 1080p video recording and play-back. But the processor’s marquee feature is battery consumption. According to Samsung, Exynos 4 Quad has twice the processing capability of its dual-core predecessor, but consumes 20 percent less power.

Sounds like a nice enhancement to the Galaxy S III, which is expected to also feature a 4.6-inch display with a 1280-by-720 pixel resolution, as well as an 8-megapixel camera and LTE support, when it officially debuts at a May 3 event in London.