Key Takeaways
1. Samsung Foundry is expected to regain Qualcomm as a client, particularly for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 production.
2. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will utilize Samsung’s SF2 technology and is likely intended for devices launching in late 2026, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
3. The Galaxy S26 Ultra faces uncertainty as it may not have a Snapdragon chip ready in time, complicating its production options.
4. Qualcomm risks facing another Chipgate scandal, as Samsung Foundry’s SF2 technology has advantages but lags behind TSMC in power efficiency and performance.
5. Designing the same chip for different manufacturing nodes presents significant challenges for Qualcomm and Samsung.
An earlier report from media outlets in South Korea suggests that Samsung Foundry is on the verge of winning Qualcomm back as a client. Although the two companies have traditionally collaborated on mid-range chips, Qualcomm’s top-tier products have been produced by TSMC since the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 did not meet expectations. However, SEDaily indicates that this situation could change in the coming year.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Production
Rumor has it that Samsung Foundry will produce the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy using its SF2 technology. This would align it with the Exynos 2600, which is also expected to launch in 2026. However, this chip won’t be used in the Galaxy S26 lineup but will be designated for other devices expected to debut in the latter half of 2026. This likely points to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8. If this turns out to be true, Samsung’s 2026 product range might look like this:
Uncertainties Around Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is currently in a state of uncertainty because, based on the Galaxy S24 lineup, the Ultra version used Qualcomm while the other models utilized Exynos. This time, it won’t be as simple since the Snapdragon chip won’t be ready in time. Another option could be for Samsung to implement a TSMC N3P-based Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which would unnecessarily complicate the situation.
The Chipgate Risk
Moreover, Qualcomm may face the possibility of experiencing the Chipgate scandal again. On paper, SF2 has a slight advantage over TSMC N3P thanks to its GAAFET architecture compared to FinFET. Nevertheless, Samsung Foundry has lagged behind TSMC in terms of power efficiency and overall performance in recent generations. Furthermore, designing essentially the same chip for two completely different nodes is an enormous challenge by itself.
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