Samsung is back in the running to make Qualcomm's next flagship phone chips, which would be good news for Samsung's struggling contract chip business and a rare setback for TSMC.

• Qualcomm is about to launch two new top-end phone chips, and talks with Samsung about building them are still live.
• Samsung has not made Qualcomm's flagship chips for years because too many of its chips came out defective.
• Its 2nm production line is working better now, though it still turns out fewer good chips than TSMC does.
• Price is the sticking point — with more customers wanting its 2nm line, Samsung no longer wants to discount as heavily as before.
• TSMC is still in the mix, and both companies could end up sharing the work.

Outlook: Qualcomm's chip summit later this month should reveal who actually wins the manufacturing.