Qualcomm is trying to mend its ways and stage a comeback with once-popular, trustworthy processing chips for smartphones. Last week, we reported that the chip maker was considering to build special partnership with Samsung, cut down on royalties and work on its licensing department as it faces deep troubles with the current lot of Snapdragon chips. A new report today reveals that Qualcomm is also thinking to wrap up its business with TSMC and move to Samsung for the production of its next-gen Snapdragon 820.
Qualcomm Samsung contract:
Qualcomm has previously majorly relied on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) foundries for the productions of its chipsets. However, Samsung has been changing the chip game this past year using its cutting edge 14nm FinFET technology producing thinner chips at less cost and with better battery performance.
Qualcomm also has been facing some major issues with its latest Snapdragon 810 chip which Samsung denied to use in its Galaxy S6 duo after overheating concerns were reported later last year. Samsung used its in-house Exynos chips in all the variants of its latest smartphones which resulted in a major financial blow to the leading chip maker.
While Snapdragon still is one of the top and choicest chips to be used in the leading Android phones including HTC One M9 and Xperia Z4, Qualcomm is definitely sensing that the worse times are ahead. Samsung also managed to get Apple's contract back thanks to the same 14nm production process. Seems like Qualcomm too is joining under its tents, as a report by the folks at Re/code suggests.
The Snapdragon 820 is the next generation of Qualcomm’s top-end chip family, designed for the 2016 flagship models from the leading phone makers. Qualcomm is hoping that the move to use Samsung’s factories will help it win back business for the next Galaxy S flagship, the sources said.
Evidently Samsung is winning this chip war from all the fronts: not only is the company able to get more contracts from some of the biggest corporations like Apple and Qualcomm but is also having an edge with its Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge thanks to the Exynos chips built on 14nm process. Well Samsung, what a comeback!
- Source of Qualcomm Samsung partnership: re/code
