As Samsung makes adjustments to its 2nm GAA process for future customers, it was rumored that the Korean giant was tasked with mass producing one version of Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, and it was rumored to feature the codename ‘Kaanapali S’ along with the model number SM8850s. Unfortunately, during the start of this month, it was reported that Samsung was dropped as Qualcomm’s foundry partner, only for us to stumble upon an update from a tipster stating that the 2nm GAA version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is alive and kicking, adding fuel to the flames that Qualcomm has yet to abandon its dual-sourcing business strategy.
The 2nm GAA version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is rumored to be cheaper, which might convince Qualcomm to maintain its partnership with Samsung for future orders
An update was provided by Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, claiming that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 made by Samsung has yet to be scrapped, and luckily for Qualcomm, it could also be cheaper. Given that the most notable names currently all place their orders with TSMC, it would not be surprising if Samsung were to build trust for its technology and offer a more competitive quote if it means that its new clientele will maintain future partnerships.
The Korean firm has been reported to focus entirely on its 2nm GAA node, gradually improving yields, performance, and efficiency until it has established itself as a worthy adversary for TSMC. The price of Samsung’s cutting-edge lithography per wafer has not been mentioned in the post, but the same tipster mentioned earlier that both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and Dimensity 9500 launching later this year will not be significantly more expensive than their immediate predecessors.
The lack of a price hike could be due to Qualcomm and MediaTek sticking with TSMC’s 3nm node, albeit the third iteration, which offers slightly better performance and efficiency, but Samsung’s involvement could also be a major reason. However, next year, when TSMC’s 2nm production hits a record high, a price bump of all flagship chipsets will be inevitable, forcing Qualcomm to charge its customers a premium.
The San Diego firm is likely aware of the changes it has to introduce, so it has probably kept Samsung’s version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 to offset its expenditure for when it transitions to the more advanced lithography. As for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3, Qualcomm is rumored to introduce two versions due to the reasons we have mentioned above, but readers must treat this information with a pinch of salt, and as always, we will return with more updates.
News Source: Digital Chat Station
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