Qualcomm

Qualcomm has renewed its global licensing agreement with Apple, extending the deal under which Apple pays to use Qualcomm's patented technology in its devices. The renewed agreement is set to take effect on 1 April 2027, continuing a long-running partnership between the two companies that has spanned their iPhone chip supply relationship.

Qualcomm has confirmed it is evaluating Samsung's 2nm manufacturing process for future Snapdragon chipsets. The move would mark a return to Samsung foundries for flagship chips, alongside rival TSMC. The decision is seen as a test of Samsung's advanced node competitiveness and yield reliability, with implications for upcoming flagship smartphones.

Qualcomm is reportedly evaluating Samsung Foundry's 2nm process for its next-generation mobile chips. If adopted, it would mark a shift for Samsung's foundry business, which has struggled to win large advanced-node orders from Qualcomm, historically a major TSMC customer. A deal would be a significant win for Samsung in its competition with TSMC, though no production decision has been announced.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, its new flagship smartphone chip, alongside a second premium model, the 8 Elite Elite Extreme Gen 6. The company positions both as flagships, with the differences between them relatively minor: mostly improved AI processing, video capture, and gaming performance. Coverage so far focuses on whether the two-tier flagship approach meaningfully separates high-end phones.