Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 May Be Made by TSMC and Samsung

Qualcomm may use Samsung alongside TSMC to produce its upcoming flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipsets. A new report from South Korea claims that Qualcomm is still in discussions with Samsung Foundry about manufacturing some of its next-generation processors.

Qualcomm is expected to introduce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro later this month. Earlier reports suggested that TSMC would be the only company producing the new chips. However, Qualcomm now appears to be considering a dual-source manufacturing strategy.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 May Be Made by TSMC and Samsung

The reported discussions between Qualcomm and Samsung include specifications, pricing, and manufacturing process optimization. It is not yet clear how much of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 production Samsung could handle.

Samsung has recently improved the production yield of its 2nm process. Reports suggest that Samsung’s current yield is around 55%, while TSMC is achieving between 60% and 70%.

However, Qualcomm reportedly wants a yield of at least 70% for large-scale chip production. This means Samsung may still need to improve its manufacturing efficiency before securing a major share of Qualcomm’s orders.

TSMC Capacity Could Be a Concern

TSMC remains the main candidate to manufacture the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series. However, limited 2nm production capacity could become a challenge for Qualcomm.

TSMC plans to reach around 60,000 2nm wafers per month by the fourth quarter of 2026. Apple is reportedly expected to take more than half of this capacity for its own processors.

This could make it harder for Qualcomm to secure enough 2nm production capacity from TSMC. Working with Samsung could therefore give Qualcomm another option and reduce its dependence on a single supplier.

Samsung Could Serve as a Backup

Qualcomm’s talks with Samsung do not necessarily mean that Samsung will become the main manufacturer of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Instead, the company could use Samsung as a secondary supplier if TSMC cannot provide enough production capacity.

A dual-source strategy could also help Qualcomm manage supply risks as demand for advanced smartphone chips continues to grow.

For now, Qualcomm has not officially confirmed Samsung’s involvement in producing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. More details are expected when Qualcomm officially unveils its new flagship chipsets later this month.