Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong quietly visited Taiwan on May 21 and met with MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai, according to semiconductor supply chain sources, in a move aimed at expanding Samsung's foundry business by securing another major customer after deals with Tesla and renewed work with AMD. Samsung declined to comment, and MediaTek had not issued an official response by press time.

Samsung Electronics' foundry business is showing signs of recovery after a prolonged downturn, as AI chip projects and HBM4-related demand begin to raise utilization at its advanced-process lines.

Intel's reported preliminary agreement to manufacture some chips for Apple is putting new pressure on Samsung Electronics, as the US chipmaker gains momentum with major technology customers and leans on Washington's support to revive its foundry business.

Samsung Electronics is looking to the tentatively named Exynos 2700 application processor (AP) as a key test for its non-memory semiconductor recovery, with the chip's adoption rate and performance in the Galaxy S27 series expected to shape the outlook for its System LSI and foundry businesses.

Intel's reported preliminary agreement to manufacture some chips for Apple devices would mark a major validation point for CEO Lip-Bu Tan's effort to rebuild the US chipmaker's foundry business. It would not, however, resolve the deeper manufacturing, cost, and organizational challenges still standing between Intel and a full-scale comeback.