Danny Weber
12:31 10-01-2026
© D. Novikov
Leaks say Qualcomm will build Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 6 Pro on TSMC 2nm N2P, not Samsung, featuring a 2+3+3 CPU layout, Adreno 850 GPU and higher costs.
Fresh leaks suggest Qualcomm is in no rush to switch its primary contract manufacturer for upcoming flagship silicon. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 are set to be made exclusively on TSMC’s 2nm N2P node, hinting that there are no active talks with Samsung Foundry for now. In other words, Qualcomm appears content to lean on TSMC a little longer.
That decision stands out against Samsung’s recent momentum in 2nm GAA production. The Korean giant has already showcased a working process with the Exynos 2600 and managed to attract heavyweight clients, including Tesla and crypto-chip makers from China. Even so, moving Qualcomm’s flagship SoCs to Samsung’s lines seems to remain on hold.
Earlier reports indicated that Qualcomm finalized the design of one Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 variant tailored for Samsung’s 2nm GAA and even received test samples for evaluation. However, there is still no confirmation that the results met the company’s stringent requirements, leaving mass production on Samsung’s fabs undecided. The subtext reads as caution: without clear, repeatable wins, the company is keeping its options tight.
From a cost perspective, shifting earlier to a dual-source strategy would be logical. Rumors put the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 as high as $280 per chip, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro—targeted at ultra-premium Android phones—could be even pricier. Splitting orders between two foundries could reduce risk and rein in escalating costs, especially given the expensive 2nm wafers at TSMC and the broader uptick in semiconductor pricing.
On the technical side, leaks point to a new CPU layout with a 2+3+3 cluster, a departure from the current 2+6 arrangement. Adreno 850 graphics also gets a mention, while the baseline Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 may ship with a more modest GPU and omit support for LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0. More concrete details are expected closer to the official announcement.