According to Korean media reports, Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 processor—targeting the mid-range smartphone segment—will be manufactured using Samsung's advanced 4nm (4LPX) process for the first time. This marks a positive development for Samsung's wafer foundry business, signaling renewed momentum in its advanced process technology.

The Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 features an octa-core CPU configuration, including four high-performance Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz, delivering an estimated 36% performance boost over its predecessor.

While Qualcomm has yet to confirm the GPU model, industry sources expect it to be the Adreno 810, offering up to 59% improved graphics performance. The chipset also supports Snapdragon Elite Gaming features such as Variable Rate Shading (VRS) and Game Quick Touch, enhancing gaming smoothness and touch response.

In terms of visuals, the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 supports Full HD+ displays with 144Hz refresh rates, 10-bit HDR, and the Rec.2020 color gamut, delivering richer and smoother visual experiences.

The imaging capabilities are powered by a dual 12-bit Spectra ISP, supporting up to 200MP camera sensors, hardware-level multi-frame noise reduction (MFNR), and 2K HDR video recording—enabling clearer imaging even in low-light conditions.

For memory and storage, it supports up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, alongside USB 3.1 Type-C and Quick Charge 4+ fast charging.

On the connectivity side, the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 integrates the Snapdragon X62 5G modem, supporting both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands with download speeds reaching 2.9Gbps, and features Smart Transmit 2.0 for improved power efficiency.

Wireless connectivity is handled by the FastConnect 6700 system, enabling Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio and dual-antenna transmission for stable and low-latency connections. Audio performance is enhanced by Qualcomm Aqstic and Snapdragon Sound technologies, supporting high-resolution playback and low-latency audio transmission.

The chipset also supports multi-system satellite positioning—including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC—using triple-frequency GNSS for lane-level navigation precision.

Security-wise, Qualcomm integrates Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and Type-1 Hypervisor to safeguard user data.

Industry analysts note that Qualcomm's move to use Samsung's 4nm node in its mid-tier lineup reflects a strategic balance between cost efficiency and supply flexibility. As advanced process costs continue to rise, chipmakers are increasingly choosing foundry partners based on both performance and pricing advantages—where Samsung's 4nm technology appears to offer a more cost-effective alternative to TSMC for certain product tiers.