Qualcomm has begun production of its flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip at TSMC using its 3nm N3P process, but it appears a different version will soon be released. According to Korean media reports, Qualcomm has also received test samples of the same chipset manufactured using Samsung's new 2nm (SF2) process. This marks the first time a Qualcomm flagship product has been tested simultaneously by two leading manufacturers.
For Qualcomm, this presents an opportunity to improve production efficiency, reduce the risk of disruption, and, most importantly, strengthen its negotiating position with TSMC. Samsung is rumored to be significantly reducing the price of its 2nm technology to attract key customers and regain lost contracts. This could lead to lower prices for flagship processors and intensify market competition.
A key technical feature of Samsung's approach is the use of gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. This architecture provides tighter current management, resulting in improved performance and reduced power consumption. The upcoming Exynos 2600 chipset, expected to debut in the Galaxy S26 series, will also utilize this same technology.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, manufactured using the 2nm process, is likely to become exclusive to Samsung smartphones.
