In the fierce competitive smartphone market, the fastest and most efficient chip race is always intense. And for a brief moment, it seemed that Samsung could be ready to jump further. The rumor was that Qualcomm in partnership with Samsung was progressing in building the 2Nm version of its next-gene powerhouse-Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. This version was expected to be more advanced than 3Nm chips that would use most Android flagships. Some people believed that it would power the select model in the Galaxy S26 lineup. But it seems that those plans are suddenly finished.

According to a leakar on X aka Twitter, Qualcomm has now canceled the 2nm Samsung-Narcrifted Edition of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip. The intermediate is known as SM8850-S, the chip has completely disappeared from the listing of Qualcomm. Earlier, Qualcomm’s documentation showed two different versions: SM8850-T, a 3Nm chip made by TSMC, and now-Missing 2Nm Samsung version.

Now, only the base model SM8850 remains, firmly shows that TSMC-built 3Nm chip is the only survivor. While Qualcomm has not decided, the leak clearly indicates that the company quietly dropped Samsung from the manufacturing equation, at least for this major chip.

The move suggests that all major Android phones launched at the end of 2025 and beyond will feature the TSMC version of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. This is a blow to Samsung, which expected to flex its 2Nm muscles and achieve some ground in the chipmaking race. Whether this decision came down to production challenges, performance concerns, or simple strategic reality, we can only put speculation for now.

In the relevant news, the same source shows that Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 prototype, which developers and OEMs use for initial testing, have seen a sharp price increase. Now suggest limited availability and high demand, it costs $ 15,000. This is an important collision, and can be the method of Qualcomm to keep the chip exclusive for top-level partners during the initial phase.

It is also worth noting that Qualcomm’s SM8845 chip-Snapdragon 8S is shiny to be branded as General 5-currently undergoing a specification shake-up. The details remain unclear, but this chip is expected to work as a more cost-effective flagship option, possibly shy of the series of aristocrats with performance while targeting the upper-media-ranges handset.

While a Samsung-made 2Nm Snapdragon would have been a headline-gabber, it seems that the story has taken a different turn. For now, TSMC’s 3nm takes the crown as the platform of choice for Qualcomm’s major ambitions. Samsung may have a 2nm moment in the future yet, but this leak shows that it will not be with Snapdragon 8 Elite 2.