EVA Systems Engineer - Video Systems, HW Architecture

Qualcomm is working with Samsung again on 2nm chips. Discover more Setup Email Hosting Compare Wireless Plans Android phones Samsung's semiconductor business just got a serious vote of confidence, and it came from one of its most famous exes. At Snapdragon Summit 2026, Qualcomm confirmed it is actively working with Samsung Foundry on 2nm chip technology, as reported by Android Headlines. This isn't a done deal or a product announcement. But it's a big signal that Qualcomm is seriously thinking about where its chips come from in the future. To understand why this matters, you have to remember how things fell apart. Qualcomm walked away from Samsung Foundry in 2022, frustrated by poor chip yields. It moved manufacturing to TSMC, and that relationship has worked out well. The current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Extreme Gen 6 variant are both made exclusively by TSMC. Samsung isn't involved in those chips at all. But Qualcomm's SVP and Head of Mobile Handsets, Chris Patrick, made it clear that the door is open again, saying the company is "conducting in-depth work regarding Samsung's 2nm process technology" and is "in the stage of understanding and evaluating how to apply Samsung's 2nm technology to future products." So what changed? A lot, actually. Samsung's semiconductor operation has come a long way since those yield problems four years ago. The company managed to tape out the 2nm Exynos 2600 before anyone else, beating TSMC, and getting ahead of chips from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple in that race. That's a real technical achievement, not a marketing claim. Samsung has clearly done the work. But there's also a practical reason Qualcomm needs to think about this. TSMC is absolutely swamped with AI chip orders right now. The entire industry is throwing silicon at AI acceleration, and TSMC is the go-to fab for almost everyone. If Qualcomm stays completely dependent on TSMC and order queues get tight, that could mean delayed product launches. Nobody wants that, especially in a smartphone market where timing around the holidays matters enormously. * Qualcomm ditched Samsung Foundry in 2022 over yield issues * Current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips are made entirely by TSMC * Samsung's 2nm work with Qualcomm targets future Snapdragon platforms * Samsung already taped out its 2nm Exynos 2600 ahead of competitors * TSMC's packed AI order book is pushing chipmakers to diversify Qualcomm isn't dropping TSMC anytime soon. That relationship is still the backbone of its current chip lineup. But this partnership evaluation with Samsung is smart hedging, and it's genuinely good news for Samsung's foundry business. Qualcomm ships an enormous number of chips. Even a slice of that volume would be significant for Samsung. Watch this space closely because whatever comes out of this evaluation will likely shape the Snapdragon chips powering your phone in 2027 and beyond.

Impinj expands mobile RFID ecosystem with Qualcomm, MediaTek. US technology company Impinj aims to bring RAIN RFID to more handhelds, rugged tablets and other enterprise devices, backed by chipset support from Qualcomm Technologies and MediaTek. RAIN RFID uses passive ultra-high-frequency signals to identify, locate and authenticate tagged goods. It is based on the ISO/IEC 18000-63 protocol, also known as GS1 UHF Gen2, and is promoted by industry body the RAIN Alliance. AMobile, Bluebird, Chainway, Unitech, UROVO and Zebra are working on devices combining RAIN RFID with barcode scanners, cameras, cellular connectivity and business apps. Qualcomm has integrated RAIN RFID into its Dragonwing Q-6690 enterprise mobile processor. Gen2X is an Impinj-developed extension to the RAIN RFID standard which improves read speed, range, accuracy and security. The company said building support into chipsets could reduce component counts and make devices smaller. The technology is already used in shops, warehouses, factories and healthcare facilities to scan stock and track goods. Impinj sees handheld devices broadening those uses by letting workers collect inventory data while restocking shelves, helping customers or preparing online orders. Changes in a tag's signal can guide staff to a particular item, and Impinj claimed repeat reads can be up to 100% faster. Tests by RFID tag maker Xindeco IoT support Impinj's range claims. Its VersaMini tags placed 3 millimetres from a large metal surface were read from more than 1.5 metres away, which Impinj claimed is over 50% farther than tags without Gen2X. A separate trial covered about 800 health and beauty products. From two metres away, Impinj said Gen2X increased the number counted in ten seconds by more than 70% compared with the earlier Gen2 standard. For order picking, the devices could direct staff to the correct item, confirm the quantity collected and filter out nearby tags. Chip verification could also help check whether the goods are genuine. A representative for Impinj told Mobile World Live Gen2X is widely deployed across multiple manufacturers on more than 50 RAIN RFID readers, mobile devices and printers.

New Hark deal: figure founder's AI lab valued at $6 billion. Amch Ltd is pleased to introduce Hark to its investors. The company develops its own foundational AI models alongside the consumer devices designed to run them. The entire semiconductor value chain - NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm - has invested in Hark. Brett Adcock launched the company in late 2025 with $100 million of his own capital, and in May, the company closed a $700 million Series A round. The team comprises talent from Apple and Meta; device design is led by Abidur Chowdhury, the creator of the iPhone Air. In August, Hark unveiled its first product - the Handoff agent, which autonomously performs tasks on websites. Key Figures - $6 billion post-money valuation (Series A, May 2026) - $759.5 million raised in under 12 months - Team of 70, with plans to grow to 200 - PitchBook: 99/100 probability of a successful exit Review the participation terms and request the investment memorandum from your manager.