Samsung’s chip-making division, Samsung Foundry, faced a tough time in 2022. Their production rate for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip wasn’t great. This 4-nanometer chip ran at 3.0 GHz. Because of these issues, Qualcomm looked elsewhere. They gave the job of making the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (a 4-nanometer chip at 3.20 GHz) to TSMC instead. This marked a big change in their partnership.
Now, a new report from South Korea suggests things might be changing. BizNewsDaily says Samsung could make premium Qualcomm chips again. This could be a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It would be called ‘For Galaxy,’ tuned especially for Samsung’s own Galaxy S phones. This would be a significant turnaround for Samsung’s chip efforts.
Qualcomm actually unveiled the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 already. They also showed off their flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Both came out in late September 2025. TSMC produces these chips using a 3-nanometer process. These new chips pack a punch with several upgrades.
The new chip includes an improved Adreno graphics chip, or GPU. It runs much faster than before. There’s also a new neural processing unit, or NPU. This NPU uses AI to make photo processing much more powerful. The chip also features eight CPU cores for various tasks.
- Seven performance-focused Oryon CPU cores hit speeds up to 3.32 GHz. These handle everyday demanding tasks.
- One prime Oryon CPU core provides full power, reaching up to 3.80 GHz. This core kicks in for the most intensive operations.
The report claims the ‘For Galaxy’ version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will be even faster. It will have higher clock speeds than the standard chip. What’s more, Samsung might make it using their own 2-nanometer GAA process. This advanced manufacturing method could give Samsung a big edge.
Analysts are now wondering about Samsung’s next phones. This could mean Samsung will use Qualcomm chips again. We might see them in the Galaxy S26 series, expected in January 2026. New foldable smartphones due in 2026 might also get these powerful chips. It truly marks a potential shift back for Samsung.