Key Takeaways
1. Samsung Foundry’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (SM8850s) is still in development despite earlier rumors of being scrapped.
2. The Samsung version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will not launch simultaneously with the TSMC version due to ongoing yield stabilization efforts.
3. Two versions of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will exist: one made by Samsung for its devices and another by TSMC for broader use.
4. There may be performance discrepancies between the Samsung and TSMC versions, as Samsung’s chips historically underperform compared to TSMC’s.
5. The Samsung version could allow for more budget-friendly flagship devices, benefiting consumers with lower prices.
Murmurs about a Samsung Foundry-made Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 had been going around the online space. Then soon after, another rumor claimed that it was completely scrapped. Now, leaker Digital Chat Station from Weibo has mentioned that the SM8850s (likely a codename for the aforementioned chip) is still in the game.
Speculations About Launch Dates
According to DCS, some OEMs might choose to avoid the very costly TSMC N3P-made Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and instead go for the Samsung version. However, it seems it won’t be released at the same time as its TSMC N3P counterpart toward the end of September since Samsung is still working diligently to stabilize yields for its 2 nm SF2 node, which is the foundation for the SM8850s.
New Developments in the Snapdragon Lineup
This is an interesting turn of events, as the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 was mostly thought to be the ‘For Galaxy’ edition aimed at Samsung’s foldable devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8. This will result in two classification of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 devices: one utilizing Samsung chips and another using TSMC.
Sadly, users won’t have any easy way to differentiate them without conducting benchmarks. On paper, the performance should be the same, but historically, Samsung Foundry’s chips have underperformed compared to TSMC’s, and there’s no compelling reason to think this trend will change shortly.
Broader Device Compatibility
On the bright side, this news isn’t all bad because it opens the door for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 to be included in a wider array of devices. OEMs wanting to introduce budget-friendly flagship phones can rely on the less expensive version and pass the cost savings down to the consumers.
Digital Chat Station on Weibo
Source:
Link
Leave a Reply