A new leak from Weibo says Qualcomm has not cancelled the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variant manufactured on Samsung Foundry’s SF2 node. The chip is said to be much cheaper than its TSMC counterpart, which has prompted some OEMs to opt for it.
Murmurs about a Samsung Foundry-made Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 had been doing the rounds online. Shortly after, another rumour stated it was scrapped outright. Now, Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station has noted that the SM8850s (likely a codename for the above chip) is still alive.
DCS reports that some OEMs may hold out on the prohibitively expensive TSMC N3P-made Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and opt for the Samsung variant instead. However, it might not launch alongside its TSMC N3P counterpart at the end of September because Samsung is still hard at work stabilising yields for its 2 nm SF2 node on which the SM8850s will be built.
This is a new development, as the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variant was primarily believed to be the ‘For Galaxy’ version earmarked for Samsung’s foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8. It will essentially create two tiers of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 devices: one with Samsung chips and another with TSMC.
Unfortunately, there won’t be any way to tell them apart without running benchmarks. On paper, they should perform identically, but Samsung Foundry’s offerings have historically lagged behind those of TSMC, and there’s no reason to believe that will change anytime soon.
Nevertheless, it isn’t all bad news because it allows the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 to be used in a broader range of devices. OEMs looking to launch affordable flagships can use the cheaper version and pass on the savings to customers.
Anil Ganti – Senior Tech Writer