Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chips could be made by Samsung Foundry

Summary

• Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, expected to go into production in 2025 and power flagships into 2026, may be manufactured by multiple foundries, including Samsung Foundry and TSMC.
• This move towards a multi-fab strategy would help Qualcomm mitigate against disruptions and avoid relying on a single entity for chip production.
• It is still uncertain how the manufacturing orders for Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will be divided, but progress and performance evaluations should determine the final decision.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system on chip is off to a flying start with devices such as the OnePlus 12 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra having Qualcomm’s latest silicon at their heart. With the development of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 probably being in its final stages, it’s time to look beyond. New information suggests that 2025 and beyond will be an interesting period for high-end Android smartphones, with Qualcomm looking at manufacturing partners outside of TSMC for its next flagship chip.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which will power many more products this year, is being manufactured by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited). Samsung Foundry, Samsung’s chip fabrication arm, was in consideration for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chips, but it seems like TSMC will receive all the orders for it.

However, come 2025, Qualcomm might be looking to spread its manufacturing orders across multiple foundries, bringing Samsung back into the fray. A multi-fab strategy would help Qualcomm not put all its eggs in one basket and not rely on the supply chain and developments of a single entity. It’s a way to mitigate against disruptions.

The information comes from Korea’s ET News portal, which states that Samsung Foundry has been approached by Qualcomm to participate in the development of 2nm processors, alongside TSMC, which is expected to be the primary producer. The chip in tow is thought to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, expected to go into production in late 2025 and power more devices in 2026. It’s still too early to determine who will produce what share of the chip. But as progress accumulates, Qualcomm will evaluate the yield and performance throughput of the semiconductor and make a decision. The prototyping phase can take more than six months to complete, so we could have a winner by the end of the year.

The last time Samsung Foundry received orders for Qualcomm’s high-end chips was in 2021 for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, post which it has been all TSMC. Receiving a major order like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will be a big boost to its financials. This is important as even Google is said to shift its Tensor production from Samsung to TSMC in 2025, marking the departure of another major partner.

There is a possibility that Samsung will get the entire bulk of Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 orders if TSMC fails the validation tests. However, semiconductor leakster @Tech_Reve believes that the majority of production will be done by TSMC’s N3P line, while Samsung’s SF2 will be in charge of the “Snapdragon for Galaxy” counterpart, bringing greater compatibility and optimization.

It remains to be seen how this will pan out, as the decision will also depend on available production capacity. As with each year, Apple usually buys out most of TSMC’s latest manufacturing lines for its laptops and smartphones, leaving little space for everyone else. Apple’s M3 and A17 silicon are already on the 3nm process, and that is unlikely to change for at least another year. In such a case, it wouldn’t be surprising that Apple will want a big chunk of the 2nm supply whenever it becomes available.