Home
News
You are here

Samsung asks TSMC to manufacture Exynos, gets rejected

By Abdullah Asim

Published: Jan 15, 2025, 5:45 PM

1comment

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.

Samsung Foundry had a year full of ups and downs during 2024 and because of this the company had to abandon Exynos on Galaxy S25. There were rumors that Samsung had been holding internal talks about outsourcing Exynos production to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for the time being. Apparently not only did this happen but TSMC has actually rejected the offer.

Update: TSMC has rejected the deal. There will be no Exynos made by TSMC. https://t.co/x5zlcPBOlp
— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) January 15, 2025

As of now there aren’t many details available on why TSMC rejected the Exynos deal. I would’ve thought this would be an excellent opportunity for TSMC to gain some more clout in the industry. Insider Jukanlosreve reckons TSMC might have rejected Samsung’s proposition because the company wants to protect its internal workings from a rival company.

For now all three Galaxy S25 phones will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. If Samsung has to use the 8 Elite Gen 2 next year then it will be forced to make its phones more expensive because Qualcomm is reportedly planning a significant price hike.

$399 ⁹⁹

$1419 ⁹⁹

$1020 off (72%)

Get the mighty Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for up to $1,020 off at the Samsung Store! Eligible device trade-ins help you save up to $900. Moreover, you get $120 off the 512GB variant, landing it at the price of the base storage model. On top of that, you'll receive an additional $80 Samsung credit for accessories.

Buy at Samsung

$319 ⁹⁹

$1119 ⁹⁹

$800 off (71%)

Trade in your old phone to save up to $700 on the exciting Galaxy S25 Plus. Samsung also gives you a $100 instant discount on the 512GB variant, giving you a total of up to $800 off the high-class Galaxy AI phone.

Buy at Samsung

During 2024 a big issue that Samsung Foundry faced was poor yield rates for 3 nm chip production. The company recently revealed that its 3 nm process has finally been stabilized. While its latest chipset missed out on debuting on the Galaxy S25 lineup it’s believed that this Exynos 2500 will now power upcoming Z series phones.

The Z series phones have seen less than stellar sales. | Video credit — Samsung

Samsung Foundry is still working on its plans for 2 nm and even 1.4 nm chips. The Exynos deal with TSMC was likely a short-term solution until the foundry’s own manufacturing processes were perfected. Though TSMC’s rejection will set Samsung back a few steps it won’t stop the company from implementing Exynos in its phones altogether.

Much like Apple silicon, Galaxy phones powered by Samsung’s own in-house Exynos chips could surpass the competition handsomely if said chipsets are properly optimized. The Galaxy phones are already some of the best phones in the world and TSMC’s rejection isn’t going to change that.

View Full Bio

Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.