Samsung Foundry: The 2nm GAA is being tested at Qualcomm, the first consumer chip in history?
The race for 2 nanometers is heating up, and Samsung Foundry appears to be ready to challenge TSMC’s dominance. According to a report from South Korean media New Daily, Samsung Foundry has begun delivering test samples of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, manufactured using its new 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process to Qualcomm.
This initiative could reignite competition between the two foundry giants, with Samsung attempting to attract Qualcomm with aggressive pricing, potentially sparking a price war in the semiconductor industry.
Qualcomm Considers Dual Production Again
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, announced at the September 2025 Snapdragon Summit, is already in mass production at TSMC. However, Qualcomm’s testing of Samsung’s 2nm process indicates its desire to diversify its supply chain and reduce reliance on a single foundry.
Qualcomm engineers will now evaluate Samsung’s samples based on several criteria:
- Yield consistency,
- Thermal management,
- Long-term reliability.
If the results prove convincing, larger-scale production could commence in time to equip the Galaxy Z Flip 8 in 2026.
A Return of Confidence for Samsung Foundry
This wouldn’t be the first collaboration between the two companies. In 2022, Samsung produced the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but those chips faced yield and overheating issues, leading Qualcomm to return to TSMC.
Since then, Samsung has stabilized its processes: its Exynos 2500, produced in-house and integrated into the Galaxy Z Flip 7, did not encounter any major issues. With TSMC increasing wafer costs by 24% over the past year, Samsung’s more competitive pricing could appeal to Qualcomm.
If Qualcomm validates the partnership, the first Snapdragon etched in 2nm could debut in the Galaxy Z Flip 8 by mid-2026.
A Battle of Yield and Innovation
During the production of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Samsung’s yield was only 35%, compared to around 70% at TSMC. This means that over half of the produced chips were unusable, significantly raising costs—this situation can be illustrated with the following analogy: Imagine a pizza costing 12 euros, cut into 10 slices. If 4 slices are burned, you can only eat 6, raising the price per slice from 1.20€ to 2€.
Since then, Samsung Foundry has reportedly improved its yield to approximately 30% for the 2nm process, although this progress is still limited, it is promising.
The 2nm Chips and GAA Technology
The new 2nm chips are based on Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology, a significant evolution from FinFET. While FinFET only covered three sides of the conduction channel, GAA utilizes nanosheets that completely surround the channel, which helps to:
- Reduce current leakage,
- Improve electrical performance,
- Increase energy efficiency.
This technological leap could position Samsung as the first manufacturer to market a 2nm smartphone, surpassing Apple, which has historically been the first to launch the most advanced chips with each new generation (7nm in 2018, 5nm in 2020, 3nm in 2023).
Who Will Be the First 2nm Smartphone?
Two scenarios are anticipated:
- The Galaxy S26 (excluding the Ultra version) could feature the Exynos 2600 processor etched in 2nm,
- Alternatively, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 could utilize a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 “for Galaxy” produced by Samsung Foundry on its 2nm node.
In either case, Samsung would break Apple’s streak, as Apple has consistently been the first brand to offer the most advanced chips on the market since 2018.
Even while the situation remains “fluid,” a Samsung-TSMC cooperation could be beneficial. Qualcomm could distribute production to mitigate risks, maintain reasonable SoC prices, and accelerate the pace of innovation.
In summary, the battle for 2nm will be fought not only on power but also on industrial reliability—a field where Samsung wants to prove its readiness to compete head-to-head with TSMC.
