Samsung has begun mass production of the Exynos 2600 chipset using the 2nm GAA process, which is installed on various Galaxy S26 models, and may also seize market opportunities. According to reports, Qualcomm and MediaTek are actively evaluating the transfer of 2nm process advanced chip production orders from long-term partner TSMC to Samsung because TSMC’s 2nm process is expected to increase prices significantly.

Mobile phone chips will enter the 2nm era next year. However, TSMC’s advanced process capital expenditures are huge. The prices of N3E and N3P processes have increased to US$25,000 and US$27,000 respectively. Therefore, it has been previously rumored that TSMC’s 2nm process pricing will increase by 50%. If true, the next generation of CPU and GPU terminal consumer products will also become more expensive.

Although TSMC has always been the world's top wafer foundry in the past, leading the industry in process technology, with the rapid changes in market demand and rapid technological advancement, Qualcomm and MediaTek, the world's two largest chip design giants, have also been forced to rethink their supply chain strategies and regard Samsung as a viable alternative.

Recently, Samsung has made a series of breakthroughs in advanced process technology, especially the research and development of 3nm and 2nm nodes. It not only shows its advantages in high performance and low power consumption, but also highlights that Samsung is gradually approaching TSMC in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

If TSMC increases prices, Qualcomm and MediaTek may establish foundry partnerships with Samsung. According to "wccftech", Qualcomm has formed a partnership with Samsung to evaluate the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 using the 2nm GAA architecture.

The biggest winner in this territory battle is Samsung. Its 2nm GAA yield rate is currently 50%. If it obtains orders from Qualcomm and MediaTek in the future, it will further consolidate its market share in the foundry market.

Qualcomm, MediaTek Are Considering Shifting 2nm Chipset Production To Samsung As TSMC’s Price Hike Is Denting Their Profits