Subsequent yr, the
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely shall be powered by the already unveiled Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm’s new identify for its flagship utility processor (AP). It was initially anticipated to sport the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 moniker till Qualcomm made the change. Ever since Samsung Foundry’s low yield pressured Qualcomm to
transfer manufacturing of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 AP from Samsung Foundry to TSMC (the place it was barely revised and given the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 identify), the San Diego-based chip designer has relied on TSMC to provide the part.
There was hypothesis that each TSMC and Samsung Foundry would twin supply the 2026 Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (which shall be often known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2). At one level, there was additionally speak of Samsung Foundry getting the gig itself utilizing its new 2nm course of node (SF2).
However a leaker on “X” with the username @Jukanlosreve says that the plan to provide the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 at Samsung Foundry has been canceled.
Samsung Foundry’s pathetic yields have value it enterprise for the previous couple of years
Samsung Foundry’s 2nm yield fee is unknown and hasn’t been publicly revealed which leads us to think about that the explanation for the cancellation is perhaps price-related. The primary 2nm chips are going to be costlier to make than 3nm which might be why the Galaxy S26 Extremely shall be powered by a 3nm AP and that’s the place Samsung Foundry’s yield is a significant problem.
Leaker says that TSMC would be the lone producer of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. | Picture credit-X
A foundry’s yield is the variety of purposeful chips produced from a silicon wafer divided by the utmost variety of chips that the wafer might have produced. Samsung Foundry’s 20% yield for 3nm chips signifies that from a wafer that may produce 500 chips, Samsung Foundry is getting solely 100 purposeful chips from it. The chip designer, on this case Qualcomm, can be financially chargeable for the unhealthy chips.
TSMC’s yield at 3nm is claimed to be 84% which makes Qualcomm’s choice a no brainer although Samsung Foundry’s 3nm node consists of Gate-All-Round (GAA) transistors that encompass the channel on all 4 sides lowering present leakage and mountain climbing the drive present. TSMC’s GAA transistors will not be used till the world’s largest contract foundry begins transport its personal 2nm manufacturing.
That is how Samsung Foundry’s low yield will have an effect on subsequent yr’s Galaxy S25 sequence
Samsung Foundry’s poor 3nm yield may also
affect manufacturing of the Samsung Exynos 2500 AP which was anticipated to be discovered powering subsequent yr’s
Galaxy S25 and the
Galaxy S25+ within the overwhelming majority of markets. If nothing modifications,
Samsung might need all the
Galaxy S25 sequence, due out subsequent January, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite AP. One other inexpensive risk for Samsung is to make use of MediaTek’s highly effective Dimensity 9400 SoC for the
Galaxy S25 and
Galaxy S25+ fashions in some areas. This rumor has lately been shot down.
The final time Samsung used only one chip for its flagship Galaxy S sequence was again in 2023 when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC was used on all of that yr’s
Galaxy S23 models. This yr, the Exynos 2400 powers the
Galaxy S24 and
Galaxy S24+ in all markets however the U.S., Canada, and China. In these markets, the
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 AP is below the hood of these fashions. The
Galaxy S24 Extremely is powered by the
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in all areas.
