DEAL Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Watch 7. Subscribe today and be the first to learn about One 7 beta!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

Samsung may have received order from Qualcomm to make prototype 2nm chip

Business
By 

Last updated: February 12th, 2024 at 08:33 UTC+01:00

Samsung Electronics and TSMC are competing to get clients for their 2nm chip fabrication processes. While Samsung didn't get clients other than its own System LSI business for its 3nm process, it is hoping to compete with TSMC in a better way with its 2nm process, and it may have received a potential client in the form of Qualcomm.

Samsung may get a chance to make a 2nm Snapdragon 8 Gen series processor

It is being reported by ETNews that Qualcomm has commissioned Samsung to develop a 2nm prototype chip for the next-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen series. This is an important accomplishment for Samsung. While there are many steps between prototype commission and the actual mass production of chips, it shows that Qualcomm is interested in Samsung Foundry's 2nm fabrication process. This could lead to the final order if the prototype chip fabricated by Samsung passes the company's performance and yield targets.

Samsung Foundry 2nm FAA Technology

This process is called Multi-Wafer Project (MWP), and it refers to creating multiple semiconductor chip prototypes on a single wafer. Based on the performance of this prototype, companies decide whether or not to move forward to the next step. Since the 2nm process has been created for the first time in the industry, and Samsung and TSMC are both working on their own versions, Qualcomm has ordered both firms to create prototypes. It will take some time before it is clear who gets the order to make Qualcomm's next-generation flagship smartphone chip.

According to Samsung's own estimates, it can start the mass production of 2nm chips using its Gate All Around (GAA) process in the second half of 2022. It made System LSI's (Samsung's semiconductor chip design firm that designs Exynos and other chips) Exynos 2400 processor that is made using its third-generation 4nm process (4LPP+). The chip is used in the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+ in most countries worldwide.

Samsung Foundry 3nm 4nm 5nm Roadmap 3GAE 3GAP

Samsung Foundry is eager to make a comeback with the 2nm process

Qualcomm assigned contracts to Samsung Foundry to make the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips but later moved to TSMC for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 due to power efficiency issues with Samsung's processes. This tarnished Samsung Foundry's image, and the company is working hard to make a comeback in Qualcomm's lineup. Despite starting to make 3nm chips earlier than TSMC, Samsung didn't get any 3nm chip orders from Qualcomm.

Business 2nmQualcommSamsung Foundry Buy Galaxy S24
Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

Google to follow Samsung’s lead by using custom chips for smartwatches

Google to follow Samsung’s lead by using custom chips for smartwatches

Qualcomm was way too slow in bringing advanced chips for smartwatches, and that is when Apple took a huge leap forward. Samsung didn't depend on Qualcomm and developed in-house Exynos chips for Galaxy Watches. While Google switched from Exynos to Snapdragon chips for second and third-generation Pixel Watches, it could switch to in-house chips in […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 day ago
One UI 7 said to be biggest improvement in Samsung’s history

One UI 7 said to be biggest improvement in Samsung’s history

Samsung was expected to release the Android 15-based One UI 7.0 beta update in late July 2024, but it was delayed. It still hasn't been released, and the word is that the update won't be released for quite some time. However, this delay could be a boon for all Samsung users, as One UI 7.0 […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 days ago
Want to catch up on Snapdragon 8 Elite? Here’s our full overview

Want to catch up on Snapdragon 8 Elite? Here’s our full overview

If you've been with us since the beginning of the week, you likely have an idea of just how crazy Qualcomm's new chip is. We had the opportunity to attend Snapdragon Summit 2024 in Hawaii and got all the information we could from Qualcomm about the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. We talked about it a […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 5 days ago
Qualcomm CMO sheds light on the regional co-marketing wins with Samsung

Qualcomm CMO sheds light on the regional co-marketing wins with Samsung

Samsung and Qualcomm both attach a lot of importance to their longstanding partnership, evidenced by the fact that the head of Samsung's mobile division, TM Roh, made an in-person appearance on stage during the ongoing Snapdragon Summit 2024, where Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite. “We love Samsung,” Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said as he […]

  • By Adnan Farooqui
  • 6 days ago
Snapdragon 8 Elite Geekbench, other benchmarks put gains in perspective

Snapdragon 8 Elite Geekbench, other benchmarks put gains in perspective

Qualcomm officially announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset earlier this week at the ongoing Snapdragon Summit 2024 in Maui, Hawaii. It's a big launch for the company as this is the first time that its custom Oryon cores have been integrated into its mobile platform. Qualcomm did say last year that it would bring Oryon […]

  • By Adnan Farooqui
  • 6 days ago
Snapdragon-powered Samsung flagships could get 8 years of Android OS upgrades

Snapdragon-powered Samsung flagships could get 8 years of Android OS upgrades

Samsung has already been leading the Android OEMs in offering some of the best Android OS upgrade support. Its latest high-end devices are supported for seven years, ensuring that customers can enjoy new features for a considerable amount of time, if they don't decide to upgrade their phone for the next seven years. There's a […]

  • By Adnan Farooqui
  • 6 days ago