According to a report from TechNews, Samsung is expanding its use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors in its Galaxy flagship phones, while its own Exynos processors are primarily utilized in mid- to low-end smartphones, tablets, and home appliances.

However, Exynos processors may no longer be used even in home appliances, as Samsung is reported considering installing Qualcomm’s processors in these devices, according to the report from SEDaily.

The report from SEDaily pointed out that since Samsung needs to install expensive Qualcomm processors in the Galaxy S25 series of smartphones set to launch in 2025, it plans to actively use Qualcomm products in home appliances to achieve related cost efficiencies.

The report indicated that, according to Yoo Mi-young, Vice President and Head of the Software Development Team in the Digital Appliances (DA) Division, Samsung is currently developing new products aimed at launching home appliances that utilize large-scale language models, or edge computing, in 2025. Additionally, Samsung is working on its own low-power, high-performance neural network processing unit chip.

Furthermore, the report noted that the home appliance most affected will be the refrigerator, as the latest Samsung refrigerators feature AI that can identify ingredients and recommend recipes. To support this AI function, powerful processors will be needed.

According to the report, Samsung has been developing Exynos 2500 series processors in the past. However, due to performance and yield issues, sources indicate that Samsung’s Galaxy S25/S25+/Ultra and other mobile phones will use Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

The report indicated that the price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is approximately twice that of the Exynos. Therefore, Samsung is reportedly planning to actively incorporate Qualcomm chips into home appliances to help share costs, which also aligns with the trend toward smart home devices.

According to the report, the price of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor has increased by 20%, so Samsung’s cost burden has also increased significantly. With the trend toward smart home appliances, actively expanding the use of Qualcomm chips in these products is expected to help reduce Qualcomm’s mobile AP purchase prices.

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• [News] Samsung Rumored to Abandon Exynos 2500, Equipping Entire S25 Series with Snapdragon
• [News] Samsung May Integrate MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 in Galaxy S25 Series, Google Accidentally Reveals

(Photo credit: Samsung)

As Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset earlier this week, Samsung, which has been working on its in-house Exynos 2500 to improve the 3nm yield, is said to abandon the plan and go Snapdragon 8 Elite only for the entire Galaxy S25 series. To turn the tide, it is reportedly embarking on the development of its next-gen Exynos chip, set to be featured in the Galaxy S27, according to Korean media outlet Sedaily and Wccftech.

The chip is expected to be manufactured with Samsung’s 2nm node, probably the SF2P process, which is an improved version of its first generation 2nm process, the reports note. Therefore, this would be a key battleground for Samsung, as it has been suffering from yield issues regarding 3nm node with GAA architecture for long.

And it does look like that Samsung aims high for the chipset, as the next-gen Exynos chip has been reportedly codenamed “Ulysses,” the Roman name for Odysseus, the hero from Greek mythology, according to Sedaily.

According to the reports, the SF2P process is slated for mass production in 2026, with enhancements in both performance and power efficiency. To be more specific, SF2P aims to improve performance by 12% while reducing power consumption by 25% and chip area by 8% compared to its predecessor.

It is also worth noting that Samsung’s foundry division is reportedly producing test chips and verifying the process design to refine the node.

Citing an industry expert, Sedaily notes that Samsung’s foundry has consistently relied on Exynos APs as a key customer. By refining its processes through managing substantial Exynos orders, Samsung has the potential to enhance its competitiveness against TSMC in next-generation chip manufacturing, although the challenge remains significant.

The challenges ahead for Samsung is formidable for sure. Foundry giant TSMC’s 2nm is expected to enter volume production in 2025, and it is already creating a buzz, as Chairman C.C. Wei said earlier that customer inquiries for 2nm are even higher than those for 3nm. According to previous market speculations, tech giants such as Apple, NVIDIA and AMD are believed to be the first batch of TSMC’s 2nm customers.

Another major rival, Intel, has shelved the 20A process node to focus entirely on the more advanced Intel 18A, aiming to enter mass production in 2025.

Japanese chip manufacturer Rapidus, on the other hand, plans to establish a fully automated production line using robots and AI in northern Japan to produce 2nm chips for advanced AI applications, with mass production anticipated as early as 2027.

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• [News] Samsung’s Next Move? Early HBM4 Mass-production and 2nm Foundry Solutions Could Be the Cure
• [News] Despite 3nm Issues, Samsung Plans to Speed up 2nm/1.4nm Expansion Next Year

(Photo credit: Samsung)

According to a report from South Korean media outlet HankYung, Samsung plans to unveil its next-generation flagship Galaxy S25 series in January 2025, including the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and the top-tier Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Contrary to earlier rumors of a dual-processor strategy which offers different versions with either Exynos 2500 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Samsung is reportedly equipping the entire S25 series with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor.

The report highlights that this shift is driven by Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16, which is being promoted as the first AI-centric smartphone, placing Samsung at a pivotal moment in the competition for AI smartphone leadership.

Given that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 boasts over a 30% improvement in AI performance compared to its predecessor and slightly outperforms the Exynos 2500, Samsung has opted to play it safe by adopting the latest Snapdragon chip, ensuring the S25 series to maximize its AI capabilities.

Previous rumors had also suggested that Samsung considered implementing a three-way strategy for its 2025 S25 series, which would have included MediaTek’s Dimensity chipset alongside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon.

As per a report from SamMobile, Samsung’s strategy to include multiple chipset suppliers was intended to prevent over-reliance on Qualcomm, which could limit their ability to negotiate lower prices.

However, a previous report by SamMobile points out that, since MediaTek’s Dimensity chips have traditionally only been used in Samsung’s mid-to-low-end devices, integrating them into the premium S series would have presented a significant challenge in terms of market acceptance.

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• [News] Samsung Rumored to Adopt MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 in Galaxy S25
• [News] Samsung Adopts Dimensity 9300+ Instead of Snapdragon, the First Time for Its Flagship Tablet to Feature MediaTek AP

(Photo credit: Samsung)

In addition to the strong memory momentum which contributes to Samsung’s soaring profits in the second quarter, the tech giant’s progress on the foundry and chip business also attracts attention. According to its press release on July 31st, Samsung expects its foundry revenue growth to outpace the market in 2024 on the back of the full-scale mass production of second-generation 3nm GAA technology.

Earlier in May, Samsung announced the tape-out of its first 3nm mobile SoC, which used the Synopsys.ai EDA suite to verify the design. It signifies a major milestone as it is the first smartphone AP taped out with its 3nm GAA process. Before that, Samsung’s SF3E node has only been utilized for cryptocurrency mining chips.

The Korean semiconductor heavyweight now notes that the initial response to the new SoC for wearables, which features the industry’s first 3nm technology, has been favorable, and adoption of 3nm SoCs by key customers is expected to expand in the second half of the year. It also plans to ensure a stable supply of the Exynos 2500 for flagship models.

It is worth noting that another focus for Samsung in 2H24 will be the expansion for the application of 200-megapixel sensors from main wide camera to tele cameras. Samsung states it plans to expand sales of DDI products with the start of mass production of new models for a customer based in the US. According to an earlier report by The Verge, Apple may begin using Samsung camera sensors as early as 2026, ending Sony’s decade-long role as the exclusive supplier of the phone’s camera sensors.

Samsung also draws an ambitious roadmap, saying that it will expand its order intake for AI and HPC applications, targeting a fourfold increase in the customer base and a ninefold increase in sales by 2028 from the levels in 2023.

Samsung announced its financial results for the second quarter today, posting KRW 74.07 trillion in consolidated revenue and operating profit of KRW 10.44 trillion (approximately USD 7.5 billion). Its DS Division posted KRW 28.56 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 6.45 trillion in operating profit for the second quarter, posting a 94% and 1081% YoY growth, respectively.

Its Foundry Business saw improved earnings as a result of increased demand across applications. Due to higher orders for sub-5nm technology, the number of AI and HPC customers increased twofold from a year earlier. The Foundry Business also distributed the process development kit (PDK) for 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology to customers ahead of mass production in 2025.

On July 9^th, Samsung confirmed that it has received the first client for its 2nm process, and will provide turnkey semiconductor solutions using the 2nm process and the advanced 2.5D packaging technology Interposer-Cube S (I-Cube S) to Japanese AI company Preferred Networks.

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• [News] Samsung’s Q2 Profits Soar to USD 7.5 Billion, Seeing Strong Demand for HBM, DDR5 and Server SSD in 2H24
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(Photo credit: Samsung)

Rumors have been circulating regarding Samsung’s 3nm yield recently. The latest market speculation on June 25^th alleged that Samsung’s foundry plant encountered a defect impacting 2,500 lots in the 3nm second-generation process, reportedly leading to a loss of 1 trillion won (USD 720 million), according to the latest report by the Chosun Daily.

On June 26^th, the semiconductor giant denied the rumors of a major defect in the production of semiconductor wafers at its foundry division in South Korea. Market speculations emerged earlier, suggesting that all the affected wafers, which equal to 2,500 lots, had to be discarded, the report noted. The volume corresponds to roughly 65,000 12-inch equivalent wafers per month.

According to the Chosun Daily, Samsung claimed that the rumor of “discarding them (the affected wafers) all” circulating in the stock market are unfounded. The current status of the products from the affected production line is still under evaluation, the report said.

Citing industry insiders familiar with the matter, the Chosun Daily noted that the reported figures might be exaggerated, pointing out that Samsung’s 3nm production capacity is less than 60,000 wafers per month. Furthermore, there are numerous inspection processes in place throughout the production line, indicating that such a large-scale defect may be improbable.

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• [News] Samsung’s 3nm Yield Reportedly Below 20%, Struggling for Mass Production

(Photo credit: Samsung)