Samsung Signs Contract with Qualcomm for Advanced Products, Rumors Surround Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2

Qualcomm’s Strategic Sourcing: A Look at Samsung and TSMC Partnerships

Year after year, Qualcomm is known to adopt a dual-sourcing approach, leveraging technological advancements from both Samsung and TSMC for its next-generation chips. However, the San Diego-based company often finds itself with limited options, ultimately leaning toward the Taiwanese semiconductor giant due to persistent yield issues experienced by the Korean foundry.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, Qualcomm’s forthcoming flagship System-on-Chip (SoC), is expected to be manufactured solely using TSMC’s advanced third-generation 3nm ‘N3P’ process. However, recent reports have introduced an unexpected development: Qualcomm and Samsung have apparently entered a contract that allows Samsung to produce “leading-edge” products for Qualcomm.

Potential Manufacturing Moves: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and Samsung’s 2nm GAA Process

Although it remains unconfirmed whether the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will indeed utilize multiple lithographies, Samsung’s struggles to secure orders from major clients underscore its ongoing yield challenges. Nevertheless, the implementation of Samsung’s 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process could signify a turning point for the manufacturer.

A recent report from Fnnews, highlighted by tipster @Jukanlosreve on X, shed light on Samsung’s pursuit of orders not just from Qualcomm but also for NVIDIA’s products, including High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).The report indicated that a contract was established for leading-edge products during the first quarter of the year in the U. S.This leaves the precise details regarding the nature of the products somewhat ambiguous.

However, there is optimism surrounding Samsung’s production capabilities, particularly with their reported trial yields of the Exynos 2600 on the 2nm GAA process, which were around 30%.While this figure still requires improvement, it shows marked progress compared to the less successful 3nm GAA process.

In their Q1 2025 earnings report, Samsung indicated plans to stabilize the yields of its 2nm GAA process and expressed intentions to begin accepting orders in the latter half of the year. Although specific clients were not named, Qualcomm’s potential inclusion as a customer is a possibility worth considering. As developments unfold, all eyes will remain on this partnership to see if they can meet future needs.

Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available regarding this intriguing collaboration between Qualcomm and Samsung.

News Source: Fnnews

Source & Images