SEOUL: Samsung, the world’s biggest Smartphone maker, won’t be using the Snapdragon 810 chip from Qualcomm, the world’s biggest maker of Smartphone chips, due to the processor overheating during Samsung’s testing.
The article cited unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the matter. A Qualcomm representative declined to comment and a Samsung representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
If the report is accurate, the change could be a significant blow to Qualcomm, with the potential of losing a high-profile design win in a flagship Samsung phone. Such a Samsung decision could then make it harder for Qualcomm to sell the new 810 chip, which was made for use in high-end mobile devices, just as Qualcomm is starting to market it.
Qualcomm has faced some questions in recent months about potential overheating in the 810, though the company has generally waved away those claims and said it’s been moving forward with selling the new chip. So far, the Snapdragon 810 will be included in LG’s G Flex 2 and Xiaomi’s Mi Note smartphones.
Along with making phones, TVs and other electronics, Samsung is the second-largest maker of computer chips in the world, and it’s making a bigger push with its chip line, called Exynos. It uses those chips in its phones in some regions already, though usually puts Snapdragon chips in its phones sold in the US.
Qualcomm and Samsung have been close partners for years, with Samsung using Snapdragon chips in many of its flagship phones, including the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4, as well as the Galaxy Alpha, which were all released last year.
