Qualcomm is reportedly considering Samsung’s foundry to manufacture its upcoming Snapdragon chips, marking a potential shift in its chip production strategy.
Samsung’s semiconductor manufacturing division had faced challenges in recent years, including yield and performance issues, which led major clients like Qualcomm to prefer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for their chip fabrication needs. TSMC became the primary choice for leading smartphone processor makers such as Apple, Qualcomm, and Google.
However, Samsung’s advancements in the 2-nanometer process technology appear to be changing this dynamic. Sources from South Korea indicate that Qualcomm is in active discussions with Samsung to produce a future Snapdragon chipset using Samsung’s second-generation 2nm process, called SF2P.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon confirmed at CES 2026 that talks with Samsung are progressing. He stated, “Among various foundry companies, we started discussions with Samsung Electronics first on contract manufacturing using the latest 2nm process.”
Although Qualcomm has not officially disclosed the specific chip involved, industry experts believe the deal likely pertains to the next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 processors.
Historically, Qualcomm has depended heavily on TSMC for its high-end Snapdragon chips due to concerns over Samsung’s performance consistency at smaller fabrication nodes. Qualcomm’s willingness to consider Samsung for 2nm chip production signals that Samsung has achieved the necessary maturity, power efficiency, and yield improvements in its manufacturing process.
Samsung has announced plans to commence mass production of 2nm chips ahead of its competitors, starting with its own Exynos 2600 processor, expected to power the Galaxy S26 series.
Besides Samsung’s internal use, the foundry has reportedly attracted interest from other major clients. Tesla has already signed on, while AMD and Google are rumored to be exploring similar partnerships with Samsung for their chip manufacturing.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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