Samsung Pushes Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on 2nm GAA: Trial Production and Industry Stakes

Samsung’s semiconductor ambitions are once again in the spotlight, as the company reportedly continues trial production of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 using its advanced 2nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) process.

While Qualcomm has already confirmed that its next flagship chip will be mass-produced on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm ‘N3P’ node, whispers from industry insiders suggest that a dual-track strategy may be unfolding, with Samsung playing a secondary but still crucial role.

The rumors are particularly intriguing because only a few months ago Qualcomm was said to have walked away from Samsung as a foundry partner, frustrated with low yields and inconsistent performance. Yet the tide seems to be turning. The Exynos 2600, Samsung’s own upcoming SoC, recently moved into mass production with yields rising from an abysmal 30 percent to around 50 percent. That figure may not sound stellar, but in semiconductor manufacturing, such jumps represent major progress, especially when developing brand-new lithography like 2nm GAA.

For Qualcomm, however, 50 percent still isn’t enough. To put it bluntly, it means that out of every 10 chips fabricated, five end up defective. At scale, that’s a financial nightmare. Analysts suggest that Samsung would need to push yields closer to 70 percent before Qualcomm would greenlight full-scale mass production

. Until then, the Korean giant’s involvement remains at the trial stage, serving more as a proving ground for its technology than a reliable supply pipeline.

According to a leaker posting under the handle @Jukanlosreve, Qualcomm has not canceled its experimental orders with Samsung. Instead, a version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is quietly moving through trial runs at Samsung’s fabs. The rumor mill even goes so far as to claim that this variant could appear exclusively in the Galaxy Z Flip 8, while the TSMC-made chips power the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the wider Galaxy S26 lineup. If true, Samsung would essentially be using its own high-profile device as a testbed, showcasing its fabrication chops to Qualcomm and the industry at large.

It’s worth remembering that dual-sourcing strategies aren’t new in the chip world. They reduce risk, help manage supply constraints, and give companies like Qualcomm leverage when negotiating with foundry partners. But they also reveal the fragility of today’s semiconductor ecosystem, where yield percentages and lithography roadmaps can dictate the fate of billion-dollar products.

For Samsung, even securing a single device with its version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 would be a symbolic victory. The company has long struggled to match TSMC’s dominance in advanced nodes, but the emergence of GAA technology – designed to reduce power leakage and improve performance scaling – gives it a chance to claw back relevance. Whether that chance materializes into real market share depends entirely on how quickly Samsung can prove its 2nm process is not just innovative, but also efficient and reliable at scale.

Of course, as with all leaks and rumors, skepticism is advised. Until official announcements are made, the story of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5’s Samsung-built variant remains speculative. Still, the narrative highlights a larger trend: the fierce battle among foundries to deliver ever-smaller, ever-more-efficient chips, and the high-stakes bets companies like Qualcomm must place as they design the future of mobile computing.