The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 could be a tale of two foundries, TSMC and Samsung

Samsung Foundry is now said to be in the race to produce the chip on its 2nm process, competing with TSMC's 3nm process.

Apr 30, 2025 - 13:18

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoC might have TSMC (3nm) and Samsung Foundry (2nm) variants.
Samsung’s version could appear on Galaxy phones in the latter half of next year, possibly on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other foldables.
It’s unclear if the Samsung-made chip will be a special ‘For Galaxy’ variant.

Qualcomm is expected to follow up on the successful Snapdragon 8 Elite flagship SoC with a new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoC later in the year. Leaks suggest the SoC could be built by TSMC on its 3nm N3P process, which is a more advanced 3nm process than the 8 Elite’s N3E process. However, it seems that not all Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoCs will be built by TSMC, as Samsung Foundry is now said to be in the race for at least one variant of the flagship SoC.

According to a report from South Korea’s SE Daily (via Jukanlosreve on X) citing industry sources, Samsung Foundry is said to be coordinating plans with Qualcomm to produce a 2nm chip by the end of the year, likely under the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 banner/generation of SoCs. However, Samsung Foundry will produce it on a more advanced 2nm process, while TSMC will produce the same on a 3nm process. The report doesn’t mention the reason for this, but it’s likely because Samsung Foundry’s 2nm process will still be behind TSMC’s 3nm process when it comes to fruition.