TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TSMC's 3-nanometer order visibility has extended into 2027, with Qualcomm and Tesla emerging as key demand drivers, CTEE reported Friday.
Institutional investors said Qualcomm is benefiting from growth in AI-enabled smartphones, while Tesla is opening a new market for chips used in physical AI and humanoid robots. Together, the orders are expected to broaden TSMC's exposure beyond AI accelerators into mobile devices and robotics.
Qualcomm and Samsung announced an expanded partnership on Wednesday, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform set to power Samsung's next-generation foldable phones. The platform supports on-device AI features such as smarter photography, enhanced gaming, and personalized user experiences.
Its processor is built on TSMC's N3P node, an enhanced version of the company's 3 nm technology designed to improve performance and power efficiency, according to TSMC. Analysts said Samsung's decision to adopt Qualcomm's processor despite having its own advanced foundry business highlights TSMC's competitiveness in performance, power efficiency, and large-scale manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Tesla's AI5 processor is on track to enter mass production in mid-2027. The chip is expected to first power Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot before being adopted in the company's automotive computing platform.
TSMC and Taiwanese chip design service provider Global Unichip Corp. (GUC) are jointly developing the AI5 processor using TSMC's 3 nm technology. Industry sources said the design reached the final stage, or tape-out, one quarter ahead of Samsung's rival project, potentially giving TSMC an advantage in securing future manufacturing orders.
High utilization rates are expected to strengthen TSMC's pricing power while benefiting suppliers including GUC and chip packaging and testing provider ASE. Japanese media reported that TSMC plans to raise prices for both advanced- and mature-node manufacturing in 2027, with increases of up to 10%, although the company declined to comment, according to UDN Money.
