Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, a significant milestone in the company’s smartphone roadmap, will be manufactured exclusively by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company). This decision was made after Qualcomm’s initial plans to source from both TSMC and Samsung fell apart due to performance and capacity issues with Samsung’s Node 3 GAP.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be a milestone in technology for being the first to run Qualcomm’s self-developed Oryon cores. Initially, there were divided rumors about who the manufacturer would be, with speculation pointing to TSMC, Samsung, or a combination of both. However, a Taiwanese media outlet has confirmed that TSMC will be the sole manufacturer, using its N3E process.

The choice of TSMC as the sole manufacturer is due to problems with Samsung’s Node 3 GAP, which will prioritize its own Exynos 2500 (or Dream Chip) over Qualcomm’s Snapdragon. As a result, Qualcomm may have to pay a premium for space at TSMC’s N3E factory, especially since Apple has already reserved most of its capacity. Intel and MediaTek also plan to manufacture components at TSMC’s N3E, further limiting available capacity.

This situation could lead to smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 being even more expensive, something that Qualcomm had already hinted at during the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Qualcomm’s decision to use TSMC for its high-end processor exclusively reflects the complexities and challenges in the global semiconductor supply chain.

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