Qualcomm might opt for Samsung

Last year, the South Korean tech giant Samsung lost its customer Qualcomm to TSMC, but this year, there's a possibility of winning them back.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-regarded industry expert, Intel Foundry Services (IFS) has decided to halt the production of Qualcomm SoCs utilizing the 20A fabrication process. Consequently, Qualcomm is likely to turn to TSMC and Samsung Foundry for their requirements.

The exact reason for this significant shift hasn't been detailed by Kuo, but recent chatter indicates that rising production costs might be the culprit. This move could spell trouble for Intel's RibbonFet transistor architecture and PowerVia backside power delivery method, as it could jeopardize the mass production prospects of Intel's upcoming 18A.

Qualcomm might opt for Samsung

On another note, Qualcomm's next move is expected to be towards TSMC Foundry for the manufacturing of the imminent Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is rumored to debut in October. However, for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Qualcomm may opt for a dual-source strategy, leveraging both TSMC and Samsung. It's been hinted that Samsung's variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be crafted using its 3GAP node, while the standard version will be fashioned through TSMC’s process.

There's also speculation about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC boasting a revamped architecture. It's believed to be powered by an enhanced prime core with elevated frequencies and is likely to be crafted using TSMC's N4P process. The configuration might feature one Cortex-X4 core, five A720 cores for superior performance, two A520 cores for power efficiency, and an Adreno 750 GPU.

With the launch date approaching, more information about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC will inevitably surface.