Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processor family was outed last autumn—online sources revealed an Iceland-themed "Project Glymur" moniker, as well as the "SC8480XP" SKU codename. At the time, leakers suggested that Qualcomm engineers had started testing early samples around July/August—further speculation pointed to "Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2" chipsets being evaluated on desktop platforms.

Yesterday, Everest (aka Olrak29_) discovered another SKU—their social media post included an intriguing screenshot, extracted from a shipping manifest. The image's contents reveals the existence of an "Ultra Premium" model, with part number: X2-000-096. Qualcomm has publicly acknowledged that it is working on successors, for launch in 2025—its third generation of "Oryon" CPU cores are lined up for inclusion in the next-gen AI PC project. Second-gen "Oryon" cores are reserved for smartphone platforms. The leaked "Ultra Premium" chip could sit in a new product tier—possibly positioned above the already established high-end "Elite" range.

Last week, Samsung introduced its brand-new Galaxy S25 smartphone series—press material focused largely on various implementations of AI features, but industry watchdogs noted the crucial selection of Qualcomm-designed processors. A "first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset" is the natural choice for this generation of Samsung flagship phones, given that proprietary Exynos designs have reportedly missed the mark (yet again). Samik Chatterjee—a J.P. Morgan analyst—believes that the latest collaboration will swell Qualcomm's revenues; he predicts a gain of $2 billion (USD). Snapdragon 8 Elite processors are utilized by the entire range of globally-released Galaxy S25 models.

The previous-gen S24 series featured a mix of Qualcomm-designed chips and Samsung Exynos silicon (for different regional markets)—market analysis estimates a total of 40 million unit shipments back in 2024. Previously, Qualcomm had a 70% share of Galaxy S24 chipsets—fast-forwarding to the present day, it becomes 100% with the rollout of Galaxy S25. Late last year, press outlets posited that the South Korean company's foundry division had moved on from a "problematic" 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. Samsung's flagship-tier Exynos 2500 SoC was linked to this node, but insiders reckon that alternative external production avenues were explored—most notably with an arch-rival: TSMC. Industry moles reckon that Samsung's leadership has slashed foundry budgets for 2025—reports from last week suggest investments being halved, as teams move onto two nanometer processes.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25, setting a new standard towards a true AI companion with our most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. Introducing multimodal AI agents, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung's vision to change the way users interact with their phone—and with their world. A first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI plus superior camera range and control with Galaxy's next-gen ProVisual Engine.

"The greatest innovations are a reflection of their users, which is why we evolved Galaxy AI to help everyone interact with their devices more naturally and effortlessly while trusting that their privacy is secured," said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives."

Qualcomm is becoming serious about its server CPU ambitions. Today, we have learned that Sailesh Kottapalli, Intel's former chief architect for Xeon server processors, has joined Qualcomm as Senior Vice President after 28 years at Intel. Kottapalli, who announced his departure on LinkedIn Monday, previously led the development of multiple Xeon and Itanium processors at Intel. Qualcomm's data center team is currently working on reference platforms based on their Snapdragon technology. The company already sells AI accelerator chips under the Qualcomm Cloud AI brand, supported by major providers including AWS, HPE, and Lenovo.

This marks Qualcomm's second attempt at entering the server CPU market, following an unsuccessful Centriq effort that ended in 2018. The company is now leveraging technology from its $1.4 billion Nuvia acquisition in 2021, though this has led to ongoing legal disputes with Arm over licensing terms. While Qualcomm hasn't officially detailed Kottapalli's role, the company confirmed in legal filings its intentions to continue developing data center CPUs, as originally planned by Nuvia.

Microsoft announced updates to the DirectX API that would pave the way for neural rendering. Neural rendering is a concept where portions of a frame in real-time 3D graphics are drawn using a generative AI model that works in tandem with classic raster 3D graphics pipeline, along with other advancements, such as real-time ray tracing. This is different from AI-based super resolution technologies. The generative AI here is involved in rendering the input frames for a super resolution technology. One of the nuts and bolts of neural rendering is cooperative vectors, enable an information pathway between the conventional graphics pipeline and the generative AI, telling it what it's doing, what needs to be done by the AI model, and what the ground truth for the model is.

Microsoft says that its HLSL team is working with AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm to bring cross-vendor support for cooperative vectors in the DirectX ecosystem. The very first dividends of this effort will be seen in the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs, which will use cooperative vectors to drive neural shading. "Neural shaders can be used to visualize game assets with AI, better organize geometry for improved path tracing performance and tools to create game characters with photo-realistic visuals," Microsoft says.

Aetina, a leading provider of edge AI solutions and a subsidiary of Innodisk Group, today announced a collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., who unveiled a revolutionary Qualcomm AI On-Prem Appliance Solution and Qualcomm AI Inference Suite for On-Prem. This collaboration combines Qualcomm Technologies' cutting-edge inference accelerators and advanced software with Aetina's edge computing hardware to deliver unprecedented computing power and ready-to-use AI applications for enterprises and industrial organizations.

The flagship offering, the Aetina MegaEdge AIP-FR68, sets a new industry benchmark by integrating Qualcomm Cloud AI family of accelerator cards. Each Cloud AI 100 Ultra card delivers an impressive 870 TOPS of AI computing power at 8-bit integer (INT8) while maintaining remarkable energy efficiency at just 150 W power consumption. The system supports dual Cloud AI 100 Ultra cards in a single desktop workstation. This groundbreaking combination of power and efficiency in a compact form factor revolutionizes on-premises AI processing, making enterprise-grade computing more accessible than ever.

EarFun, a global leader in wireless audio technology, has already made waves at CES 2025 with the debut of an impressive lineup of innovative products. From reimagined open-ear listening solutions to innovative AI-powered translation earbuds, EarFun continues to lead the audio technology industry with groundbreaking advancements.

EarFun Unveils Advanced AI Translation and Dual-Unit Wireless Audio Technology
At CES 2025, EarFun will showcase OpenJump, the all-new open-ear wireless earbuds, along with the EarFun Clip, the premium Wave Life Hybrid ANC over-ear headphones at attractive pricing, the enhanced Air Pro 4+ with AI translation, and the world's 1st Lossless Auracast USB Dongle

ASUS today announced a significant expansion of its innovative Copilot+ PC lineup, the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs, bringing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to users in every segment—empowering more people than ever to embrace the exciting and burgeoning era of AI.

As AI reshapes both how people interact with technology and their expectations of what a computer should be, our all-new Copilot+ PC lineup is designed to meet the growing demand for more affordable, more efficient, more secure and faster laptops that elevate both personal and professional workflows. Powered by the latest AI-enabled processors from Qualcomm, AMD and Intel, and available in a diverse range of styles and form factors, ASUS is leading the charge in making AI technology universally accessible.

ASUS today announced the groundbreaking Zenbook A14 (UX3407) - the lightest 14-inch Copilot+ PC on the market, and also the first all-Ceraluminum ASUS laptop. Zenbook A14 is also the first Zenbook model powered by the latest Snapdragon X Series AI-enabled processors. Zenbook A14 redefines lightweight laptops, addressing traditional challenges like durability, performance, cooling, battery life, limited ports, and cost. Its all-Ceraluminum chassis is ultra-light at under 980 g, durable, and low-maintenance, designed for everyday use. Snapdragon X Series processors deliver outstanding power efficiency and performance with multi-working-day battery life, and the dual-fan thermal system ensures optimal cooling and boosts CPU TDP up to 45 W with minimal noise. As a Copilot+ PC, it enhances productivity and creativity with advanced AI capabilities.

The intuitive design includes an enlarged touchpad supporting Smart Gestures and a versatile range of I/O ports. Seamless integration with Windows Phone Link and Snapdragon Seamless lets users answer calls, manage notifications, and transfer files directly from the laptop. Users can even turn their phone into a webcam. Entertainment shines with the FHD ASUS Lumina OLED display and a powerful super-linear speaker system, offering a cinematic experience. Security is robust with the Microsoft Pluton processor and Windows passkeys for secure authentication storage. AI-driven features like the AI IR Camera system provide facial recognition for automatic login and logout, Adaptive Lock, and Adaptive Dimming, ensuring enhanced privacy and usability. With its lightweight design, robust performance, and advanced features, Zenbook A14 is a true game-changer in portable computing.

Expanding its AI PC leadership, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the Snapdragon X Platform, the 4th platform to join the Snapdragon X Series compute portfolio, designed to deliver performance, multi-day battery life, and Copilot+ PC experiences for even more users globally.

Redefining the PC Category for Mainstream Devices at $600
Utilizing the power of an 8-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Snapdragon X is delivering essential performance to the next-generation of PCs. This platform delivers up to 163% faster performance at ISO-power than our competitors who also require 168% more power at ISO-performance, the Snapdragon X processor balances performance and built-in intelligence with a 45 TOPS NPU that runs Copilot+ PC experiences more efficiently. With an integrated power efficient GPU, Snapdragon X supports dynamic graphics ideal for creating presentations, web browsing, or streaming content. Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives. Devices powered by Snapdragon X are expected to be available from leading OEMs including Acer, ASUS, Dell Technologies, HP and Lenovo in early 2025 enabling Copilot+ PCs in the $600 range.

At CES 2025, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., today announced Qualcomm AI On-Prem Appliance Solution, an on-premises desktop or wall-mounted hardware solution, and Qualcomm AI Inference Suite, a set of software and services for AI inferencing spanning from near-edge to cloud. The combination of these new offerings allows for small and medium businesses, enterprises and industrial organizations to run custom and off-the-shelf AI applications on their premises, including generative workloads. Running AI inference on premises can deliver significant savings in operational costs and overall total cost of ownership (TCO), compared to the cost of renting third-party AI infrastructure.

Using the AI On-Prem Appliance Solution in concert with the AI Inference Suite, customers can now use generative AI leveraging their proprietary data, fine-tuned models, and technology infrastructure to automate human and machine processes and applications in virtually any end environment, such as retail stores, quick service restaurants, shopping outlets, dealerships, hospitals, factories and shop floors - where the workflow is well established, repeatable and ready for automation.

Emotiv, a global leader in EEG technology, announces its next-generation EEG Active Noise-Cancelling Earphones. These smart earphones enhance personal wellness by integrating advanced EEG technology to provide insights into cognitive performance and overall well-being—alongside exceptional sound quality.

Building on Emotiv's MN8 earphones launched in 2018 (the world's first EEG-enabled earphones), the MW20 marks the next evolution of wearable technology. Designed with precision, the product merges premium audio with neurotechnology to deliver actionable wellness insights and BCI capabilities in an intuitive form factor. Made of machined aluminium and sapphire glass, the earphones feature an ergonomic design engineered for optimal fit and precise acoustics.

A Delaware jury has delivered a mixed verdict in the high-stakes licensing dispute between Qualcomm and Arm, with Qualcomm securing a significant but incomplete victory. The jury unanimously found that Qualcomm's use of Oryon cores in its Snapdragon X processors for client PCs did not violate its licensing agreements with Arm. The case centered on Qualcomm's $1.4 billion acquisition of Nuvia in 2021 and subsequent use of Nuvia's processor designs. Arm had alleged that Nuvia's licensing terms couldn't transfer automatically to Qualcomm and demanded renegotiation of the agreements. When Qualcomm proceeded with development, Arm insisted the designs be destroyed. During the trial, Gerard Williams III, the lead developer of Oryon cores and former Apple engineer, testified that the final design contained less than 1% of Arm technology.

This testimony supported Qualcomm's position that its existing architecture license covered products designed by its subsidiaries. While Qualcomm celebrated the verdict allowing continued development of its Snapdragon X processors, the jury deadlocked whether Nuvia violated its original agreement with Arm, specifically about permitting server processor development. This impasse has prompted Arm to announce its intention to seek a retrial on this unresolved count. "We are disappointed that the jury was unable to reach consensus across the claims," Arm stated, wanting to protect its intellectual property and ecosystem. Meanwhile, Qualcomm expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating the verdict "vindicated Qualcomm's right to innovate." The stakes remain high for both companies. Qualcomm relies on its Oryon cores to compete in the PC market, where it currently holds a 0.8% share of Q3 2024 shipments, while Arm derives approximately $300 million annually from Qualcomm, representing 10% of its revenue.

GEEKOM, a Taiwanese tech company famous for making high quality mini PCs, is heading to CES for the second consecutive year in 2025 with an exciting lineup of new products. Known as the Green Mini PC Global Leader, GEEKOM always focuses on improving the quality and reliability of its products, and it also spares no effort in cutting down carbon emissions and making the world a greener place.

Among the many mini PCs that GEEKOM plans to put on show at CES 2025, there are many industry firsts. The GEEKOM QS1, for instance, is the world's first mini PC powered by a Qualcomm chipset. The tiny computer sports an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X1E-80-100 processor with twelve 4.0 GHz Oryon CPU cores, a 3.8 TFLOPS Adreno X1-85 GPU and a 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU. It is smart and fast enough to breeze through all of your daily home and office computing chores, yet energy-efficient enough to significantly cut down your electric bill.

Days of Arm-Qualcomm legal disputes continue, and with new day we get new updates. Gerard Williams III, CEO and founder of Nuvia, also one of the main brains behind Qualcomm's Oryon cores inside Snapdragon X processors, testified before the court that the chip design contains minimal Arm IP despite using the company's instruction set architecture. Williams estimated that "one percent or less" of the final design originated from Arm's IP. Despite Qualcomm using Arm ISA license, the company has very little Arm IP in its SoCs. Most of the Snapdragon X design has been done within Qualcomm's labs, in addition to Nuvia. Williams, who co-founded Nuvia in 2019, explained that while their processors use Arm's Armv8 instruction set, the core design was largely developed from scratch. Nuvia initially secured two non-transferable licenses from Arm: a Technology License Agreement (TLA) and an Architecture License Agreement (ALA).

These agreements allowed the company to develop custom cores while implementing Arm's instruction set. The development team created their own proprietary microarchitecture, including custom data paths and cache systems, rather than using Arm's existing designs. The controversy erupted when Qualcomm acquired Nuvia and announced plans to use the cores in PC processors rather than the initially intended datacenter applications. Arm demanded a renegotiation of licensing terms following the acquisition, which Qualcomm refused, arguing that its existing ALA covered Nuvia's designs. The dispute escalated when Arm revoked Nuvia's licenses in 2022 and terminated Qualcomm's Architecture License Agreement this October. Arm is now seeking the destruction of all Nuvia designs developed before the merger, arguing that the licensing agreements couldn't be transferred through acquisition. Qualcomm builds a case on TLA not being violated since the designs are mostly custom, so we have to see how the ruling proceeds. Arm wants to "hurt" Qualcomm with ALA revoking, and perhaps the final case ends with a settlement, given that Qualcomm is one of Arm's biggest customers.

A high-stakes trial between technology giants Arm and Qualcomm has revealed deeper tensions in the semiconductor industry, as Arm seeks the destruction of chip designs from Qualcomm's $1.4 billion Nuvia acquisition. The case, being heard in Delaware federal court, centers on a licensing dispute that could impact the future of AI-powered Windows PCs. Arm CEO Rene Haas took the stand Monday, adding allegations that Qualcomm violated licensing agreements following its 2021 acquisition of chip startup Nuvia. The issue is whether Qualcomm should pay Nuvia's higher royalty rates for using Arm's intellectual property rather than its own lower rates. Internal documents revealed Nuvia's rates were "many multiples" higher than Qualcomm's, with the acquisition potentially reducing Arm's revenue by $50 million.

During cross-examination, Qualcomm's legal team challenged Arm's motives, suggesting the dispute is part of a broader strategy to confront a customer increasingly viewed as a competitor. When presented with documents outlining potential plans for Arm to design its own chips, Haas downplayed these ambitions, emphasizing that Arm has never entered chip manufacturing. Allegedly, Arm sent letters to Qualcomm's customers, including Samsung, warning about possible disruption if Nuvia's IP design before acquisition in 2021 must be destroyed. Haas defended these communications, citing frequent inquiries from industry partners.

In an interesting exchange about product stance between Intel's interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus and Qualcomm, both have offered conflicting statements about the market performance of Arm-based PCs. The dispute centers on customer satisfaction and return rates for PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors. During the Barclays 22nd Annual Global Technology Conference, Holthaus claimed that retailers are experiencing high return rates for Arm PCs, mainly citing software compatibility issues. According to her, customers are finding that typical applications don't work as expected on these devices. "I mean, if you look at the return rate for Arm PCs, you go talk to any retailer, their number one concern is, wow, I get a large percentage of these back. Because you go to set them up, and the things that we just expect don't work," said Holthaus.

"Our devices continue to have greater than 4+ stars across consumer reviews and our products have received numerous accolades across the industry including awards from Fast Company, TechRadar, and many consumer publications. Our device return rates are within industry norm," said Qualcomm representative for CRN. Qualcomm projects that up to 50% of laptops will transition to non-x86 platforms within five years, signaling their confidence in Arm-based solutions. While software compatibility remains a challenge for Arm PCs, with not all Windows applications fully supported, Qualcomm and Microsoft have implemented an emulation layer to address these limitations. Holthaus acknowledged that Apple's successful transition to Arm-based processors has helped pave the way for broader Arm adoption in the PC market. "Apple did a lot of that heavy lift for Arm to make that ubiquitous with their iOS and their whole walled garden stack. So I'm not going to say Arm will get more, I'm sure, than it gets today. But there are certainly, I think, some real barriers to getting there," noted Holthaus.

We started Android over a decade ago with a simple idea: transform computing for everyone. Android powers more than just phones—it's on tablets, watches, TVs, cars and more.

Now, we're taking the next step into the future. Advancements in AI are making interacting with computers more natural and conversational. This inflection point enables new extended reality (XR) devices, like headsets and glasses, to understand your intent and the world around you, helping you get things done in entirely new ways.

Imagine being able to step into any world in an instant—from the bustling streets of New York City to the snowy mountain tops of the Alps. These worlds are no longer merely places to observe from afar. They can now be explored and interacted with simply through a gaze, a gesture or your voice. What once seemed like science fiction has become a reality as eXtended reality (XR) transforms how we engage with the world around us.

XR is an umbrella term for technologies that use digital elements to extend or alter reality by merging the physical and digital worlds together. This includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) as well as other similar technologies yet to be developed. XR offers infinite possibilities, creating a dynamic spatial canvas where users' sight, sound and motion combine to interact with the outside world. A world that will unlock unprecedented experiences across core areas of life, from working and learning to entertainment, gaming and even health and wellness.

In a recent report from Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter, it seems that Qualcomm is now rethinking its acquisition of Intel because of financial and regulatory issues, which indicates that the potential purchase of Intel is, in some way, losing speed. Undoubtedly, the prospective arrangement has its flaws which are of a big nature. Let us not forget that Intel's debt burden of approximately $50 billion further complicates the company's financial picture. Further to the merger, regulatory approvals would be involved, which would be a long process and, therefore, very difficult. Qualcomm is currently thinking about whether to buy only a certain segment of Intel's business, possibly the division of the company that produces semiconductor chips, instead of the whole company.

Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has made it clear that they are not planning to split up the company. During an interview in November, he talked about his determination which he described as "energy and passion" to move the organization in the right direction and their strategy of "being different and at the same time, better together." Intel is leveraging other options to better its financial standing as recently this week, the company closed a $7.86 billion financing deal which is part of the US CHIPS Act, among the $3 billion from Pentagon contract confirmed this summer. Intel is still on the lookout for possibilities to do away with some of its divisions; Altera is one that it seems to be most willing to sell. Lattice Semiconductor has made a statement that it is ready to take over Altera and it would not be a surprise if Qualcomm also enters the bidding game. Qualcomm's goal is to generate an additional $22 billion in annual revenue by 2029, however, CEO Cristiano Amon said in a Bloomberg interview last week that "right now, at this time, we have not identified any large acquisition that is necessary for us to execute on this $22 billion."

The latest market data from Canalys reveals a complex landscape for AI-capable PCs, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X platform showing modest growth in the age of AI PC. Despite sequential growth of 180% in Q3 2024, Snapdragon X-powered devices represent less than 1.5% of the Windows market, according to research. Qualcomm managed to sell around 720,000 Snapdragon X devices, which accounts for only 0.8% of all PCs sold in Q3 2024. Microsoft leads the adoption of the Snapdragon X, having integrated the platform across much of its Surface lineup. The broader AI-capable PC market, however, tells a different story. Shipments reached 13.3 million units in Q3 2024, claiming 20% of total PC shipments. Windows devices dominated this category for the first time, securing a 53% market share, driven by the Windows 11 refresh cycle and advances in processor technology.

Canalys also noted some significant challenges ahead. A recent survey indicates hesitancy among channel partners, with 31% planning to avoid Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs in 2025 and 34% expecting these devices to constitute less than 10% of their sales. These premium offerings, which require a minimum of 40 NPU TOPS, are constantly being evaluated over their value proposition. Major manufacturers are pursuing diverse strategies to differentiate themselves. HP focuses on ISV partnerships to enhance AI capabilities, while Lenovo develops proprietary tools like Creator Zone and Lenovo AI Now. Dell and Lenovo are integrating on-device AI within their broader service ecosystems. With Windows 10's end-of-support approaching, manufacturers face pressure to drive upgrades among users with aging devices. The industry's sequential growth of 49% in AI-capable PCs suggests increasing market appetite, though customer adoption of premium AI features remains selective.

At its recent Investor Day, Qualcomm talked about the third generation of its "Oryon" CPU cores, completely disregarding the second-generation Oryon cores for its AI PC project. The company projects these processors will debut in 2025, targeting devices priced as low as $600 to broaden its market presence. Qualcomm hopes to capture 30-50% of the serviceable addressable market (SAM) for non-x86 AI notebooks by 2029, a significant extension from its earlier, more ambitious 2027 target. Qualcomm's Oryon 3 CPUs will succeed the Snapdragon X Plus chips and are expected to deliver substantial performance and efficiency improvements. While no performance hints were dropped for the third-gen, the second-gen Oryon cores receive about a 30% boost in processing power and 57% greater efficiency compared to the first-generation Oryon chips. This indirectly indicates that Oryon 3 will record an even higher performance jump.

However, the Oryon 2 generation will skip the PC segment, appearing instead in Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphones. Despite these advancements, the road to higher market share is fraught with challenges. Qualcomm faces competition from potential entrants like MediaTek and NVIDIA, both expected to join the non-x86 notebook market by 2025. Furthermore, the company's revenue projections for the PC segment—$4 billion annually by 2029—pale compared to Intel's $29 billion in PC chip sales in 2023, highlighting the scale of competition in this space. Qualcomm's strategy also includes diversifying its revenue streams beyond PCs. By 2029, it targets $8 billion in automotive chip sales, $4 billion in industrial applications, and $2 billion from VR products. With competition in the Arm-based AI PCs heating up, companies must increase performance dramatically to get a head start.

Samsung's latest semiconductor manufacturing technology is falling short of expectations, as the company struggles to achieve acceptable production rates for its cutting-edge 3 nm chips. The latest rumors indicate that both versions of Samsung's 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process produce fewer viable chips than anticipated. The initial targets set by the South Korean tech giant were aimed at a 70% yield rate in volume production. However, the first "SF3E-3GAE" iteration of the technology has only managed to achieve between 50-60% viable yield output. More troubling is the performance of the second-generation process, which is reportedly yielding only 20% of usable chips—a figure that falls dramatically short of production goals. The timing is particularly challenging for Samsung as major clients begin to reevaluate their manufacturing partnerships.

Qualcomm has opted to produce its latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processors exclusively through rival TSMC's 3 nm facilities. Even more telling is the exodus of South Korean companies, traditionally loyal to Samsung, who are now turning to TSMC's more reliable manufacturing processes. While Samsung can claim the achievement of bringing 3 nm GAA technology to market before TSMC's competing N3B process, this technical victory rings hollow without the ability to mass-produce chips efficiently. The gap between Samsung's aspirations and manufacturing reality continues to widen. However, Samsung is shifting its focus toward its next technological milestone. Development efforts are reportedly intensifying around a 2 nm manufacturing process, with plans to debut this technology in a new Exynos processor (codenamed 'Ulysses') for the 2027 Galaxy S27 smartphone series.

Apple and Samsung are reportedly in the fray to acquire Intel, according a spectacular rumor cited by Moore's Law is Dead. This would put the list of companies looking to acquire Intel at 3—Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm. All three are Arm licensees, with unique characteristics. Apple currently has an Arm-based SoC hardware division that makes custom chips for all its devices, including Macs. Samsung would go on to be an overseas parent company for an American heritage company like Intel, but something like this is not unheard of when you consider examples such as Boston Dynamics being acquired by Hyundai Motors, or Westinghouse Nuclear's acquisition by Japan's Toshiba, before changing hands to Canadian Bookfield Partners. Then there's Qualcomm—the American company is having a bit of a falling out with Arm, and the prospect of owning the x86 IP should be tempting.

Intel retains large amounts of market-share in both the PC processor and server processor markets, however, the company's stock price has been on a downward trend for several quarters now, causing its valuation to drop to levels where any of the other big tech companies can afford to buy it out. The company spent close to $10 billion on a GPU architecture project spanning not just a contemporary graphics architecture to power the integrated graphics solutions of its PC processors, but also discrete gaming GPUs; and most importantly, an AI GPU architecture under the "Ponte Vecchio" project. Intel's Xe-HP AI GPU missed its performance targets or was too late to the market, leaving Intel with a gaping hole that it could only fill with a slew of cost-cutting measures. It doesn't help that Intel Foundry is losing its edge, and none of the logic tiles of Core Ultra "Arrow Lake" processor is made on an Intel foundry node.

According to Bloomberg, Arm Holding PLC, the holding company behind the Arm instruction set and Arm chip designs, just issued a 60-day notice period of license retirement to Qualcomm, its long-time partner. The UK-based ISA provider has notified Qualcomm that it will cancel the Arm ISA architectural license agreement after the contract-mandated 60-day notice. The issues between the two arose in 2022, just a year after Qualcomm acquired Nuvia and its IP. Arm filed a lawsuit claiming that the reason was "Qualcomm attempted to transfer Nuvia licenses without Arm's consent, which is a standard restriction under Arm's license agreements." To transfer Nuvia core licensing, Qualcomm would need to ask Arm first and create a new licensing deal.

The licensing reworking came just in time when Qualcomm experienced its biggest expansion. The new Snapdragon 8 Elite is being used in the mobile sector, the Snapdragon X Elite/Plus is being used in Copilot+ PCs, and the automotive sector is also getting the new Snapdragon Cockpit/Ride Elite chipsets. Most of that is centered around Nuvia Oryon core IP, a high-performance, low-power design. Arm's representatives declined to comment on this move for Bloomberg, while a Qualcomm spokesman noted that the British company was trying to "strong-arm a longtime partner."