Qualcomm is currently in negotiations with Samsung Electronics regarding the potential use of its 2nm GAA process for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 mobile platform. This move aims to address supply constraints at TSMC, where production capacity is heavily booked by major clients like Apple, Nvidia, and AMD through 2027.
The proposed dual-foundry strategy suggests that TSMC would continue to manufacture the high-end 'Extreme' versions of the chip, while Samsung could handle standard models. Samsung has reportedly improved its 2nm process yield to over 70%, meeting the threshold required by Qualcomm for mass production, compared to TSMC's 80% to 90% yield rates.
Despite the technical progress, price remains a significant point of contention. Samsung has previously increased prices for its 4nm and 5nm processes by 10% to 15% and is currently reluctant to offer discounts to Qualcomm. The final production allocation strategy remains unconfirmed ahead of the Snapdragon Summit scheduled for September 22–24.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has held direct discussions with Samsung leadership to explore this partnership. This shift reflects a broader industry trend of diversifying supply chains to mitigate risks associated with geopolitical tensions and the limited availability of advanced manufacturing nodes.
