October 22, 2024 – According to a blog post published today by technology media outlet SamMobile, Qualcomm has confirmed that its Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition chip is entirely manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). This revelation marks a significant challenge for Samsung in the flagship mobile chip manufacturing race.
Previous rumors suggested that Qualcomm would split the production of its Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition between Samsung and TSMC. However, it has now been confirmed that the entire 3nm chipset is being produced solely by TSMC.
The specific reasons why Qualcomm chose not to use Samsung for this chip remain unclear. However, SamMobile speculates that the primary factor may be related to production yield issues at Samsung. As reported earlier by IT Home, Samsung’s own Exynos 2500 chip has also faced yield problems, potentially leading to the use of Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition or MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chips in its upcoming Galaxy S25 and S25+ smartphones.
This news underscores the significant challenges faced by Samsung’s foundry business in its competition with TSMC. The loss of the Qualcomm order, coupled with concerns about its production yields, has raised widespread concerns among its customers. With Qualcomm’s confirmation that its latest chip is entirely made by TSMC, Samsung’s position in the future market competition appears to be increasingly precarious.
