Lately and supposedly, the Samsung Foundry has "stabilized" yields of its cutting-edge 2 nm GAA node process (SF2); enough to qualify as being "mass production"-worthy. Despite rumors of a yield rate hovering around the 50% mark, the South Korean semiconductor specialist seems to be proceeding with high-volume manufacturing of Exynos 2600 application processors. This next-gen smartphone chip is expected to become the foundry service's SF2 "proof of concept," as finalized silicon gets released within upcoming Galaxy S26 and S26+ devices. A fresh Chosun Daily article cites recent research done by KB Securities—with head analyst, Kim Dong-won, projecting a return to profit—in 2027—for the Samsung's chip making business. Prior to the early success of SF2, the megacorp's foundry division has been "recording trillions of won in losses since 2022," but new deals could lead to much better fortunes in the next financial year. KB Securities reckons that "performance is expected to turn a profit next year from a loss of 7 trillion won last year, thanks to an increase in operating rates following the expansion of Tesla AI chip supply."

One industry insider commented on present-day goings-on with company leadership: "they are accelerating order intake with the goal of turning a profit next year. In addition to the stabilization of yields in advanced processes below 3 nm (<SF3-class), the operating rates of the highly profitable 4-8 nm processes are also at their highest levels." The Chosun Daily news piece brings up Qualcomm and AMD as potential returning (fabless) customers, especially in the context of adopting 2-nanometer wafers—either SF2 or SF2P-class. Last month, Qualcomm was reportedly close to adopting Samsung Semiconductor's HPB technology, another in-house smartphone-centric product. A week ago, the rumor mill mentioned one unnamed "definite" sign-up. As the 2 nm (SF2) process stabilizes, Chosun thinks that Samsung has a better/growing chance of securing Qualcomm's custom in the near future. They outline a current fruitful collaboration: "Qualcomm is a long-time customer of Samsung Foundry, and has a special relationship with Samsung Electronics' Mobile Business (MX) division."TSMC, Samsung's main chip fabrication rival, could struggle to keep up with customer demand for the foreseeable fortune—industry observers propose that the usual big tech players are weighing up alternative foundry services. Outside of its native footprint, Samsung's still-under-construction main North American fab site is a promising prospect. The Taylor, Texas-based campus seems to be on an accelerated path to 2 nm silicon manufacturing activities. Unfortunately, several delays have affected the $50+ billion site's path to full operation—its own issues have been compared to TSMC Arizona's early teething problems.