Qualcomm may not rely exclusively on TSMC for its next flagship mobile chips. Samsung Foundry is reportedly still being considered for 2nm production of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, with Qualcomm said to be discussing technical specifications, pricing and manufacturing-process optimization with the company.
A dual-source arrangement, splitting orders between Samsung and TSMC, is said to be among the possibilities. Such a setup could reduce Qualcomm’s dependence on one foundry while helping secure the production volumes needed for future flagship smartphones.
Qualcomm has not used Samsung for its premium Snapdragon processors in recent years following yield issues at the Korean manufacturer on earlier process generations. Samsung’s reported 2nm yield has now reached about 55%, though it remains below the estimated 60% to 70% range for TSMC’s equivalent process.
Price could be a key obstacle. Samsung is reportedly less willing to offer the discounts it had previously used to attract foundry business, as demand for its 2nm capacity grows and the division secures orders from several major US companies.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips are expected to be unveiled at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit toward the end of the month and could appear in Galaxy S27-series models depending on region and configuration. Qualcomm has yet to confirm the chips’ architecture, performance details or final manufacturing partners.
