Qualcomm will build Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Gen 7 on TSMC's 2nm N2P, dropping Samsung. What it means for performance, efficiency, and higher chip costs.
© A. Krivonosov
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has become Qualcomm’s last major chipset built on a 3 nm process. The company is now gearing up to switch to TSMC’s 2 nm technology, and insiders say it will use the refined N2P variant rather than the base N2 node. More notably, Qualcomm is expected to build not only the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 on it, but also its successor, Gen 7.
The information comes from user @reikaNVMe, who indicated that the company has stepped away from splitting production between TSMC and Samsung. It’s a surprising turn, given that Samsung is already preparing the Exynos 2600 using its own 2 nm GAA process for the future Galaxy S26 series. Even so, Qualcomm appears ready to place its bets solely on the Taiwanese giant.
The N2P process follows the same design rules as N2, while delivering either 5% more performance or 5% lower power consumption at identical frequencies. In practical terms, that gives Qualcomm room to squeeze more speed from upcoming Snapdragons without sacrificing energy efficiency.
The catch is cost. Earlier this year, Qualcomm and MediaTek paid 24% more for N3P wafers used in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500. With TSMC’s 2 nm nodes priced 50% higher, expenses will climb further. Analysts therefore believe a dual-sourcing approach could have helped, but the rumor mill maintains that Qualcomm will stick with TSMC for at least two generations.
All told, the move signals a preference for stability and proven manufacturing, even if it means a pricier path—a conservative play that fits the moment.