4nm wafer yield is low, most of Samsung's Galaxy S23 may use Qualcomm application processors

According to TheElec, Samsung will primarily use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 applications processor (AP) on its upcoming Galaxy S23 series of smartphones. Sources said Samsung's Exynos platform will be manufactured using the 5-nanometer node as its 4-nanometer foundry yield and performance fell short of expectations.

It is understood that Samsung had tried to expand the market share of its Exynos platform by offering 5nm and 4nm nodes. But so far, the 4nm node version has had very low yields with substandard performance and thermal issues. Because of this issue, Samsung's logic design division is planning to use the 5-nanometer node to manufacture its next-generation Exynos series, otherwise known as the Exynos 2300.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, on the other hand, is built using TSMC's 4nm node, which means it will have better overall performance compared to the 5nm Exynos 2300. Therefore, Samsung was forced to choose Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as the main AP for the S23 series, and the Exynos chip was switched to the mid-range model.

Samsung's chip chief, Kyung Kye-hyun, admitted in September that the company is lagging behind in terms of progress and yield at the 5-nanometer and nano-nodes compared to rival TSMC.

According to officials familiar with Samsung affairs, Samsung's 4-nanometer yield rate is close to 60%, which can ensure customer inflow and increase profitability. Industry insiders pointed out that the expansion of Samsung's 4nm process represents Samsung's receipt of customer orders. In addition, Samsung's expansion of the 4-nanometer process, coupled with the advantage of being the world's first mass-produced 3-nanometer process, will also help narrow the gap with TSMC.