The next Galaxy S26 should be motorized by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2… but who will this chip be made? A persistent rumor suggests that Samsung could be at work, with good and less good in the key. We explain to you.
The relative volatility of information concerning the Qualcomm chip for the next Galaxy S26 calls for caution, especially since rumors in the matter are sometimes quite contradictory … But what is retained is that the track of a Qualcomm and Samsung meeting on this ground is (a priori) far from being buried.
In any case, this is what the leaker Digiticloutstation on Weibo. Usually well informed, the interested party believes that the great price competitiveness of Samsung Foundry against TSMC could lead Qualcomm to prefer the Korean giant for the engraving of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 expected on the future Galaxy S26.
Towards a slightly less efficient chip … but much less expensive to produce?
In this case, the leaker explains that the SM8850S chip has not been abandoned. Behind this reference would hide, for context, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 engraved according to the 2 Nm process of Samsung Foundry; While the appellation SM8850 will send back to the same chip, but this time engraved by TSMC.
We learn from the same source that if this famous SM8850S is still alive, it is because its large -scale manufacturing cost would be ” weaker Let her pendant engraved by TSMC. This strictly pecuniary reality would push Qualcomm to carefully examine the hypothesis of an entry into production at Samsung Foundry … even if it means adopting a so -called “approach to” dual sourcing »Consisting in collaborating with both Samsung and TSMC for this generation of mobile processor.
If this track is confirmed, one can imagine that the SM8850S would be used on the basic versions of the Galaxy S26, as well as on a whole slew of Chinese flaships at contained prices, while the SM8850 would remain the prerogative of the most premium mobiles, like the S26 Ultra for example.
A credible hypothesis since the engraving of Samsung Foundry is often less effective than that of TSMC, giving rise to slightly less efficient and / or less effective SOCs on the energy level … Unless Samsung Foundry succeeds in reverse this trend with its new 2 Nm protocol. Response in a few months.
