TSMC plans to raise its 2nm wafer pricing by up to 50%, placing key clients like Qualcomm and MediaTek under significant pressure. The move follows earlier N3P process price increases that triggered chip price hikes of 16% for Qualcomm and 24% for MediaTek, impacting profitability and drawing client dissatisfaction.
Compounding the issue, TSMC’s Arizona fab faces 30% higher production costs than its Taiwan facilities due to workforce and optimization challenges. Even mature nodes cost 5–20% more from the U.S. site, as disclosed by AMD.
In response, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon emphasized maintaining “multiple foundry options,” excluding Intel’s 18A process but signaling openness to Samsung Foundry. With only TSMC, Samsung, and Intel capable of 3nm+ production, Samsung is positioning itself as a strategic alternative—leveraging decades of experience at its Texas fab and localized expertise.
ICgoodFind Summary: TSMC’s aggressive pricing and operational challenges may reshape the advanced node landscape, pushing clients like Qualcomm to diversify their foundry partners.
