Qualcomm CEO meets Samsung, SK, LG execs for chip ties

Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm, speaks during the Semafor World Economy 2026 conference in Washington, DC, April 13. AFP-Yonhap

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon held a series of meetings with executives at Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and LG Electronics during his visit to Korea, Tuesday, in a move widely seen as aimed at securing memory supply and deepening foundry partnerships for next-generation chips.

According to industry officials, Amon arrived in Seoul on Monday and held a series of closed-door meetings with top executives from Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and LG Electronics through Tuesday. The meetings were attended by Samsung Electronics’ Foundry Business President Han Jin-man and LG Electronics CEO Lyu Jae-cheol.

The back-to-back meetings are seen as Qualcomm pushing to reinforce ties with Korean partners across its supply chain, including the manufacturing of its application processors (APs), sourcing of advanced memory chips and exploration of opportunities in the physical artificial intelligence (AI), communications and automotive sectors.

The companies did not officially confirm the agenda of Amon’s meetings, but industry officials noted that one of the key purposes was to secure memory chips.

Qualcomm, one of the world’s leading suppliers of smartphone APs, has been grappling with tight supply of low-power double data rate (LPDDR) memory used in mobile chips in recent months, as soaring global demand for AI-specific memory chips for data centers creates a supply bottleneck across the broader memory market.

As Qualcomm is expanding its business portfolio into automotive semiconductors, on-device AI and data center, securing a stable supply of memory has become critical, making cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix increasingly essential.

With Samsung Electronics, a partnership in the foundry business was believed to be a key topic of discussion.

During CES 2026 in January, Amon said Qualcomm had completed design work and discussions with Samsung’s foundry on 2-nanometer-based contract manufacturing for its upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 AP. If realized, the move would mark Qualcomm’s return to Samsung’s foundry after relying on TSMC for contract manufacturing over the past five years.

Reportedly, Samsung earlier this year shared LPDDR6X samples with Qualcomm for next‑generation mobile and AI processors, working together to vet the low-power memory for potential use in the future processors expected to be launched in 2027.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, left, and Samsung Electronics Head of Device eXperience Roh Tae-moon, center, stand on stage as Samsung Electronics unveils its latest flagship smartphones in San Francisco, California in a file photo from Feb. 1, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

With SK hynix, the discussions are likely to have covered across server‑grade DRAM and advanced AI memories, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and small outline compression attached memory module. Stronger ties with the leading HBM supplier would help Qualcomm secure bandwidth‑heavy memory for AI servers.

LG Electronics is expected to play a larger role in Qualcomm’s physical AI strategy, partnering across vehicle electronics, smart home devices and robotics. As LG Electronics is focusing on these areas as key growth drivers, it is expected to expand partnerships with Qualcomm’s communications and semiconductor technologies.

At CES 2026, Qualcomm showcased a range of physical AI platforms, including its high‑performance Dragonwing IQ10 robotics processor, highlighting its push to establish an early foothold in the market. LG Electronics is expected to lean on Qualcomm as a key partner in wireless connectivity and chipset development as it works to build a more stable semiconductor supply chain and pursue custom chips for its next‑generation physical AI products.