Renowned industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested a major shift in Qualcomm’s chip production strategy, indicating that the company might be moving away from Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and towards TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and Samsung Foundry for its next-generation chip manufacturing.

Qualcomm may have stopped designing chips for the Intel 20A node, meaning that Intel 18A R&D and mass production will face increased uncertainty and risk / Qualcomm可能已停止設計Intel 20A製程的晶片，意味著Intel 18A研發與量產將面臨更高不確定性與風險https://t.co/OC8QwYPJe1

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) August 8, 2023

Kuo’s statement, while not delving into extensive details, points towards Qualcomm’s potential decision to discontinue using Intel Foundry Services for producing its System-on-Chip (SoC) components. The reasons for this change aren’t explicitly mentioned, but recent speculation points to cost considerations being a primary factor.

This strategic move could have implications for technologies like RibbonFet (transistor architecture) and PowerVia (backside power delivery method), potentially putting Intel’s upcoming 18A mass production at risk.

The anticipated shift in production partners raises the possibility that Qualcomm will engage TSMC Foundry for its forthcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 production, slated for an October launch. However, for the subsequent Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the company might adopt a dual-sourcing strategy involving both TSMC and Samsung.

There are indications that Samsung’s customized version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will utilize its in-house 3GAP node technology, while the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s node.

Beyond manufacturing transitions, rumors abound about the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC featuring a more advanced architecture. Reports suggest that it will incorporate a high-frequency prime core, signaling enhanced performance capabilities.

The manufacturing process for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is expected to utilize TSMC’s N4P process. The SoC’s configuration might encompass a single Cortex-X4 core, five A720 cores optimized for performance, two power-efficient A520 cores, and an Adreno 750 GPU.

As the launch date for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC approaches, it’s likely that additional leaks and official announcements will provide further insights into its specifications and capabilities.