Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variant manufactured on Samsung's 2 nm node reportedly in the works

Some time ago, two Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 engineering samples were spotted online, each with different memory speeds. While this can be chalked down to Qualcomm testing the waters with different LPDDR5X modules, there have been murmurs about two Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variants existing. Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station has now reaffirmed the sentiment.

The information aligns with an earlier report that stated Qualcomm would manufacture the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy on Samsung Foundry's SF2 node. If true, it will be the first-ever 2 nm smartphone SoC to hit the market, assuming it launches alongside the TSMC N3P-based Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variant. Unfortunately, it is hard to determine when the alternate Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 variant will launch because SF2's yields have been less than optimal for mass production.

Digital Chat Station also says it will not be "held until next year" (machine translation). This implies the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy might not be ready in time to power the Galaxy S26 Ultra. And if the Exynos 2600-also manufactured on SF2-doesn't materialise, there's a good chance a regular Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will power the entire Galaxy S26 lineup. That leaves only the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 as viable candidates for the Samsung Foundry-made Snapdragon 8 Elite 2.