Qualcomm and Snapdragon misstep as it loses "large customer"

Qualcomm has emerged as a leader in the silicon space for mobile processors with integrated cellular radios in the new smart phone and tablet revolution.

Their latest processor is the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC which while being used successfully in the upcoming LG Flex 2 curved display smart phone is no longer being used in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6. The reason is that the high-tech silicon was overheating inside the slimline Galaxy S6 which seems to lack sufficient internal cooling to maintain acceptable heat levels where the LG Flex 2 was able to do so.

Heating Issues Still In Dispute As LG Flex 2 Works Fine

The dispute over this has been continuing Qualcomm voicing that there is nothing wrong with their latest 64-bit processor because it has passed the stringent testing at LG before being selected for the LG Flex 2 flagship model. Nonetheless, the company is working on a new version with a different design in order to get around the issue of Samsung overheated designs.

Large Customer Canceled Order

Now Qualcomm has indicated that their lost “a large customer” order recently as Samsung have declined to accept the Snapdragon 810 SoC and will likely use their own Exynos processor instead. This is a rare misstep by Qualcomm which was using profit estimates of between $26 to $28 billion which may now have to be revised downwards.

Samsung Made The Best Defensive Move

In some senses for Samsung because along with Note phablet line of devices, the S series is their flagship device. The Korean company cannot afford to manufacture and ship millions of devices if there is any doubt about components they would use in each handset. Given that the company has their own independent line of processors which they use in many South-east Asian handsets models (Qualcomm chips tended to be used in US and Europen models) it was an easy shift to make.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Note Edge will be shown at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain during the first week of March.