According to SEDaily, Qualcomm might use Samsung Foundry’s cutting-edge 2nm node for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Samsung’s foundry has not manufactured Qualcomm’s flagship chips since the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 failed to meet expectations, but it could make a significant impact with this chip in late 2026.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy will be fabricated on Samsung Foundry’s 2nm SF2 node, matching the technology of the Exynos 2600. Galaxy S26 models, such as the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra, will likely stick with the Exynos 2600 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, which is expected to power the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 in H2 2026.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 ‘For Galaxy’ version reportedly won’t be ready for Galaxy S26 launch. It would be possible for Samsung to develop an in-house solution with TSMC, which might even perform better; however, this would undermine the goal of saving costs. Ultimately, a lot depends on how well Exynos 2600 performs, especially if Samsung’s expectations are met.
With its GAAFET design, Samsung’s SF2 should theoretically outperform TSMC’s N3P FinFET in terms of efficiency, but Samsung’s past struggles with power and performance raise doubts. There is a possibility that Samsung’s 2nm design for foldables and TSMC’s design for other devices could trigger a “Chipgate” redux.
