Industry watchdogs have held the belief that Samsung's foundry business has lost several key clients due to alleged yield problems—the South Korean megacorp appears to be diligently working on major improvements with currently "in-progress" manufacturing processes; namely 2 nm GAA (aka SF2). Semiconductor industry insiders believe that TSMC is still leading the way with a recently completed trial run of their own 2 nm design, but rumors of elevated prices have reportedly upset certain important customers. According to a fresh Sedaily news article, Qualcomm has conducted negotiations with Samsung Foundry top brass—semiconductor industry moles claim that a "Snapdragon 8 Elite 2nd generation product" was the main topic of discussion. This next-gen flagship mobile chipset was previously linked to a 3 nm TSMC node, but newer rumors point to a possible spin-off that will utilize a "more advanced 2 nm process"—courtesy of Samsung Electronic's prime "Hwaseong S3" facility.

Sedaily and Jukanlosreve reckon that mass production will kick off at this cutting-edge early next year. Earlier today, Jukanlosreve added extra conjecture/context via a long social media bulletin: "the completed chips are expected to be integrated into Samsung Galaxy smartphones slated for launch in H2 2026. Design work is to finish in Q2 2025, after which mass-production preparations will begin and wafer runs will start in Q1 2026. Output is estimated at roughly 1,000 twelve-inch wafers per month. Given that Samsung's current 2 nm capacity is about 7,000 wafers/month, this project would utilize only around 15 % of its available capacity—suggesting this is a modest order rather than a large-scale win." These predictions have surprised many industry observers; Samsung leadership has seemingly tried to prioritize the in-house Exynos mobile processor designs within futuristic flagship Galaxy smartphone devices. Jukanlosreve reckons that the Samsung Foundry is keen to embrace any new "golden opportunities," given the operation's weakened track record across the past half decade. One unnamed insider posited: "this Qualcomm partnership could pave the way for orders from other big tech players." Sedaily sent a query to Samsung HQ, regarding the latest inside talk—a company spokesperson replied with: "we cannot confirm anything related to customer orders."

Microsoft has deployed three AI features to Copilot+ PCs through the Windows 11 April 2025 non-security preview update. Users can finally access the long-promised Recall, Click to Do, and enhanced Windows Search by enabling "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" in Settings > Windows Update. Recall operates as a background capture system that takes periodic screenshots, encrypts them via the device's TPM chip, and stores them locally. The system creates a searchable index organized by keywords, dates, and applications. Privacy controls include Windows Hello authentication for settings changes, app-specific exclusions, customizable retention periods, and snapshot deletion options. Windows E3 enterprise deployments can implement Group Policy controls for centralized management.

Click to Do functions at the window manager level, activated by Win + Click or touchscreen right swipe. The context-aware tool provides different capabilities based on content type, offering summarization and translation for text, and background removal and editing for images. Image processing works across all Copilot+ hardware, while text functionality currently supports only Snapdragon processors, with AMD Ryzen AI 300-series and Intel Core Ultra 200V compatibility scheduled for later release. The updated Windows Search implements a compact language model running directly on the device's NPU. This enables natural-language queries throughout Windows interfaces, allowing users to find content without exact filenames. The system operates on NPUs rated at over 40 TOPS and delivers 70 percent faster retrieval than Windows 10.

According to reports from last year, Xiaomi was expected to unveil an oft-rumored proprietary mobile chipset design at some point in 2025. By October 2024, the Chinese technology giant allegedly reached the tape-out phase of its first 3 nm SoC—at the time, insiders posited that Xiaomi was seeking a manufacturing partner. Months earlier, a prototype design was linked to TSMC's 4 nm "N4P" node process—this rumor raised many smartphone watchdog eyebrows. Unlike many other Chinese firms, Xiaomi was reportedly allowed to select a fairly advanced manufacturing process at Taiwan's premier foundry service. In a past weekend news article, Wccftech outlined interesting circumstances: "(US) export controls have yet to affect Xiaomi, which is supposedly on track to launch its first in-house chipset later this year. However, while we reported last year that the company was scheduled to unveil its custom 3 nm SoC in 2025, we were disappointed to learn just the specifications of this version that will utilize TSMC's 'N4P' process. According to more details, this silicon will not sport any homegrown cores like Qualcomm has adopted for the Snapdragon 8 Elite."

Late last week, Jukanlosreve highlighted another leaker's prediction—regarding the technological foundations of Xiaomi's mystery flagship mobile processor. Fixed Focus Digital's Weibo post mentioned the "N4P" node, as well the utilization of current generation Arm Cortex-X925, Cortex-A725 and Cortex-A520 units. A speculated Imagination Technologies "IMG DXT 72-2304" integrated graphics solution is touted to outperform Qualcomm's Adreno 740 iGPU; as featured in their Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (2022) SoC. As highlighted by Wccftech's report, one of the publication's associates has deemed Fixed Focus Digital to be an unreliable source of inside track info. In response to Jukanlosreve's tweeted question, Mochamad Farido Fanani opined: "that's right, how does Xiaomi use N4P in its new chipset? But this guy always guesses blindly." Older leaks—based on "N4P" rumors—projected performance levels roughly on par with Qualcomm's first generation Snapdragon 8 chip. This model was introduced at the tail end of 2021.

Late last month, speculative Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 (aka SM8850) technical details emerged online. Up until then, Digital Chat Station's Weibo channel has delivered all sorts of pre-release information—mostly concentrating on Qualcomm's alleged redeployment of a familiar "2 + 6" core configuration, and selection of TSMC's 3 nm "N3P" node process. Earlier today, the veteran leaker predicted a couple of new-gen improvements—first concentrating on the alleged mobile chipset's "Adreno 840" integrated graphics solution. Digital Chat Station (DCS) believes that the company's engineering team has increased their iGPU design's independent cache size "from 12 MB to 16 MB," leading to: "early setting performance increased by 30%±." It is not clear whether this rumored upgrade has affected the SoC's L2 or L3 cache provisions, but the current-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile processor makes do with 12 MB of L2 cache per cluster. Additionally, DCS reckons that an enlargement of caches has resulted in performance of Qualcomm's "second-generation self-developed CPU architecture" increasing "by 25%±."

As interpreted by Wccftech: "the upcoming SoC will now feature 32 MB of L2 cache, with the L3 count currently unknown at this time. The initial test results revealed that the 'Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2' delivered a 30 percent performance increase, but it is unconfirmed if this delta exists between the Snapdragon 8 Elite or some other silicon." DCS has heard whispers about the upcoming chip supporting "new generations of high-speed LPDDR5X/LPDDR6" memory. The mentioning of LPDDR5X is not surprising; given that the current Snapdragon 8 Elite model is already up to snuff with this spec. Just over a year ago, JEDEC was reportedly working on the finalization of LPDDR6 standards for mobile platforms. Shortly thereafter, smartphone industry watchdogs started to theorize about the arrival of a so-called "Snapdragon 8 Gen 4" chip with LPDDR6 RAM in 2025. Fast-forward to the present day; fresh reports suggest that manufacturers will have the option to outfit next-gen flagship devices with "bog-standard" LPDDR5X or faster/more efficient LPDDR6 memory.

When Microsoft first introduced the Copilot+ program alongside its renewed push for Windows-on-Arm laptops, the AI-powered assistant features were mostly limited to Snapdragon X-powered devices. In addition to the inclusion of these features on Intel and AMD systems, Microsoft is also announcing Voice Access, a new accessibility feature that will first launch on Qualcomm Snapdragon systems and make their way to Intel- and AMD-powered systems. These new updates come by way of the March 27 Preview update titled KB505365. However, there is still no mention of an AMD and Intel launch for the much maligned Recall feature that Microsoft was testing late last year and recalled due to privacy concerns.

According to the latest Windows Experience Blog post, users of AMD- and Intel-powered PCs will now be able to access features, like Live Captions, Cocreator, Restyle Image, and Image Creator more broadly across the line-up of Copilot+ PCs with Intel Core Ultra 200V and AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs. Live Captions is officially pitched as an accessibility feature, meanwhile Restyle Image and Image Creator are AI-powered image editing and generation features, and Cocreator lies somewhere in between as a text-to-image tool that is meant to augment drawing in Paint. Cocreator will be rolling out as of the announcement, and Restyle Image and Image Creator will be available in the Photos app on Intel and AMD systems. As for Voice Access, Microsoft claims that it will allow users to be more flexible with their language when using speech to navigate their PCs, as opposed to "learning complex steps, commands and syntax that voice access previously required" for voice navigation on PC. Voice Access will initially be limited to Snapdragon X PCs, but it will roll out to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs later this year.

Digital Chat Station (DCS)—a tenured leaker of Qualcomm pre-release information—has shared new "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2" chipset details. Earlier today, their Weibo feed was updated with a couple of technological predictions. The announced smartphone chip's "SM8850" identifier was disclosed once again, along with the repeated claim that Qualcomm has selected a 3 nm "N3P" node process. Industry watchdogs expect to see the San Diego-headquartered fabless semiconductor designer introduce its next-generation flagship smartphone SoC in October. The current-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite platform was unveiled last Fall; sporting cutting-edge "Oryon" (aka Phoenix) processor cores and an integrated Adreno 830 graphics solution. DCS reckons that the natural successor will reuse a familiar "2 + 6" core configuration; comprised of two prime "big performance" units, and six "normal" performance-tuned units. An Adreno 840 iGPU was listed as DCS's final point of conjecture.

The incoming "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2" chipset was mentioned in the same sentence as rumored "Pegasus" cores (Phoenix's sequel)—slightly far-fetched rumors from 2024 suggested Qualcomm's upgraded processor architecture being tested at maximum frequencies of 5.0 GHz (on performance cores). As pointed out by Wccftech, Gen 1's performance cores run at 4.47 GHz (by default). In today's follow-up post, DCS claimed that Qualcomm's: "self-developed CPU architecture is now in the second generation, with a performance setting of over 380 W+." Industry watchdogs reckon that the "Snapdragon 8 Elite 2" chip will be capable of recording 3.8+ million point tallies in AnTuTu V10 gauntlets, thanks to the alleged utilization of ArmV9 architecture. DCS theorized that the speculated "SM8850" SoC will support ARM's Scalable Matrix Extension 1 (SME 1) and Scalable Vector Extension 2 (SVE2) instruction sets.

AYANEO today officially launched its latest retro-style Android handheld, the AYANEO Pocket ACE. Featuring a horizontal retro design, this handheld is exquisitely crafted, elegant, and portable, while being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 gaming platform for top-tier performance that effortlessly handles both classic games and popular mobile titles. Upholding its philosophy of "Real Gamers, Know Gamers," AYANEO once again pushes the boundaries of retro horizontal handheld gaming with the Pocket ACE.

Honoring Classics, Reinventing Elegance - Inheriting the brand's aesthetic DNA, retro design meets modern craftsmanship. The AYANEO Pocket ACE continues the brand's design philosophy, paying homage to classic horizontal handhelds while incorporating modern manufacturing techniques to breathe new life into the form. Its sleek, flowing body and meticulously refined button layout deliver a comfortable grip, allowing players to experience the perfect fusion of retro charm and contemporary refinement in every gaming session.

Qualcomm has filed confidential complaints with antitrust regulators in the US, Europe, and South Korea, accusing Arm Holdings of leveraging its dominance to suppress competition in chip design. The filings, submitted to the US FTC European Commission and Korea Fair Trade Commission, alleged that Arm is restricting access to critical technologies and altering licensing terms to favor its own chip ventures, Bloomberg reported. Arm swiftly denied the claims, claimining that this is a distraction from a broader commercial dispute. "Arm remains focused on enhancing innovation, promoting competition, and respecting contractual rights and obligations," a company spokesperson told Tom's Hardware. "Any allegation of anti-competitive conduct is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Qualcomm to detract from the merits and expand the parties' ongoing commercial dispute for its own competitive benefit. Arm is confident that it will ultimately prevail in this dispute."

Qualcomm's filings argue that Arm is abandoning its longstanding open licensing model, which enabled a global ecosystem of chipmakers and software developers. Instead, the company claims Arm is prioritizing its compute subsystems (CSS)—pre-packaged chip designs for client devices and data centers—by limiting rivals' ability to license core technologies. Qualcomm also alleges Arm is withholding IP and violating agreements, particularly for clients developing custom silicon based on CSS designs. The complaints follow a recent legal victory for Qualcomm in a Delaware court, where a judge ruled the company did not breach licensing deals by acquiring chip startup Nuvia and using its IP in Snapdragon X processors for PCs. Arm, which plans to appeal the decision, insists Qualcomm's regulatory push is an escalation of the same dispute. According to Bloomberg's sources, Qualcomm's EU complaint—filed before the December court ruling—warned that Arm's post-2024 licensing changes would force chipmakers to obtain direct architecture licenses to use CSS designs, which could marginalize competitors. Arm confirmed it is preparing a formal response to the EU filing, while Qualcomm has reportedly engaged regulators in Washington and Seoul on similar concerns.

Arm has officially unveiled its Accuracy Super Resolution (ASR) upscaling technology at Game Developer Conference 2025, delivering an open-source upscaling solution for mobile and low-power devices. Built upon AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2) framework, ASR promises up to 53% higher frame rates while reducing power consumption by 20% on devices utilizing the Immortalis-G720 GPU. This technology addresses a critical performance gap in the Android ecosystem, which has historically lagged behind Apple's MetalFX implementation. The temporal upscaling approach employed by ASR combines information from multiple frames to generate higher-quality images, offering superior visual fidelity compared to Qualcomm's Game Super Resolution (GSR), which relies on the older spatial-based FSR 1 technique. In benchmark testing with complex scenes, Arm demonstrated that ASR helps maintain stable device temperatures, preventing thermal throttling that can compromise user experience.

Collaboration with MediaTek confirmed significant power savings on Dimensity 9300 chipsets, directly addressing battery life concerns for mobile gamers. Arm plans to release pre-built plugins for Unity and Unreal Engine by year-end, streamlining integration for developers working with these widely-used game engines. During GDC demonstrations, Arm showcased the "Mori" demo running in Unreal Engine 5, where ASR delivered 30% performance improvements without visual compromises. Licensed under MIT open-source terms, ASR's accessibility extends across the entire Arm ecosystem, potentially benefiting smartphones running MediaTek Dimensity, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung Exynos, and even Arm-powered laptops featuring Snapdragon X series SoCs.

At its annual Amplify Conference, HP Inc. today announced new products and services designed to shape the future of work, empowering people and businesses to create and manage their own way of working. The company unveiled more than 80 PCs, AI-powered print tools for SMBs, and Workforce Experience Platform enhancements all built to drive company growth and professional fulfillment.

"HP is translating AI into meaningful experiences that drive growth and fulfillment," said Enrique Lores, President and CEO at HP Inc. "We are shaping the future of work with game-changing AI innovations that seamlessly adapt to how people want to work."

AYANEO debuted its Android gaming pad at GDC 2025 in San Francisco on March 17, establishing itself as the world's first device manufacturer to integrate Qualcomm's new Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 gaming platform. The AYANEO Gaming Pad features significant performance upgrades, with CPU and GPU improvements of 30% and 28% over previous generation hardware. The device centers around an 8.3-inch 1440p LCD optimized for gaming with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 3:2 aspect ratio. AYANEO has implemented an active cooling system with a blower-type fan to maintain thermal stability during extended gaming sessions. The hardware architecture includes a CNC all-metal frame, and a transparent glass back cover in what the company calls its "Explorer Edition" design aesthetic.

Other specs, such as the camera, exceed typical gaming tablet specifications, with a 5 MP front-facing camera for streaming complemented by a 50 MP primary rear camera and a 13 MP 120-degree ultra-wide lens. The Gaming Pad incorporates a six-axis gyroscope for motion controls and quad-chamber speakers for spatial audio output. Connectivity advances include implementing Wi-Fi 7. The Gaming Pad supports peripheral ecosystem expansion through compatible controllers, keyboards, and mice, enhancing its versatility across gaming contexts. While AYANEO is the first to market with the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 Platform, OneXPlayer has simultaneously announced its ONEXSUGAR SUGAR 1 with the same chipset. AYANEO has not yet disclosed pricing, availability, or complete technical specifications, with additional product details expected in upcoming announcements.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced its 2025 lineup of Snapdragon G Series Gaming Platforms, purposefully designed to power handheld gaming devices for a wide range of players. The new portfolio consists of the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2, created to bring best-in-class portable gaming experiences.

• Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is the first Snapdragon G Series platform to support Lumen, Unreal Engine 5's fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system, for Android handheld-dedicated gaming devices. Compared to the previous generation, Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 features 30% faster CPU performance and 28% faster advanced graphics capabilities, as well as greater power optimizations and energy efficiencies. With support for Wi-Fi 7, players can reduce latency and increase bandwidth.
• Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is aimed for gaming and cloud gaming at 144 FPS on dedicated gaming devices, offering a powerful balance of performance and efficiency with 2.3x CPU performance increase and 3.8x faster GPU capabilities over Snapdragon G2 Gen 1. The platform also supports Wi-Fi 7 for faster and more reliable wireless connections.
• Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 is built to deliver robust performance to a broader audience, bringing up to 1080p at 120 FPS over Wi-Fi. Intended for cloud gaming on dedicated handheld Android gaming devices, this platform drives 80% faster CPU and 25% faster GPU performance for seamless gameplay.

Today marks the launch of ASUS Vivobook S14/S16 (S3407QA/S3607QA), a pair of Copilot+ PCs engineered to be the ideal companions for everyday life.

Featuring the latest high-performance Snapdragon X processor with up to 45 TOPS NPU, these ultra-slim, lightweight laptops deliver powerful AI capabilities, extended battery life, and next-level connectivity. For work, study, or play, Vivobook S14/S16 provide an immersive entertainment experience with stunning 16:10 FHD OLED or 2.5K 144 Hz IPS displays, along with Snapdragon Sound and Dolby Atmos audio. Designed for style and durability, these devices ensure effortless AI computing with premium metallic chassis, military-grade resilience, and advanced security features for total peace of mind.

According to Digital Chat Station—a repeat leaker of unannounced Qualcomm hardware—unnamed Android smartphone manufacturers are considering an eSIM-only operating model for future flagship devices. Starting with the iPhone 14 generation (2022), Apple has continued to deliver gadgets that are not reliant on "slotted-in" physical SIM cards. According to industry insiders, competitors could copy the market leader's homework—Digital Chat Station's latest Weibo blog post discusses the space-saving benefits of eSIM operation; being "conducive to lightweight and integrated design." Forthcoming top-tier slimline Android mobile devices are tipped to utilize Qualcomm's rumored second-generation "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2" (SM8850) chipset.

Digital Chat Station reckons that: "SM8850 series phones at the end of the year are testing eSIM. Whether they can be implemented in China is still a question mark. Let's wait and see the iPhone 17 Air. In order to have an ultra-thin body, this phone directly cancels the physical SIM card slot. Either it will be a special phone for the domestic market, or it will get eSIM." The phasing out of physical SIM cards within the Chinese mobile market could be a tricky prospect for local OEMs, but reports suggest that "traditionally-dimensioned" flagship offerings will continue to support the familiar subscriber identity module standard. Physical SIM card purists often point out that the format still provides superior network support range.

On Monday (March 3), Qualcomm introduced its Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite model—advertised as the world's first 5G Advanced-capable FWA platform. Inevitably, the company's brand-new Snapdragon X85 5G modem will be compared to a rival design—Apple's proprietary C1 chip launched last month; as featured in the A18 SoC-powered iPhone 16e series. The two companies were closely intertwined for a number of years; with a longer than anticipated co-development of 5G solutions for multiple iPhone product generations. Cristiano Amon—the CEO of Qualcomm—believes that his team's X85 5G design will end up as the victor, when pitched against Apple's C1. In a CNBC-conducted interview, he boasted: "it's the first modem that has so much AI, it actually increases the range of performance of the modem—so the modem can deal with weaker signals. What that will do will set a huge delta between the performance of premium Android devices, and iOS devices, when you compare what Qualcomm can do versus what Apple is doing."

Smartphone industry watchdogs reckon that Apple's C1 model will leverage superior power efficiency; courtesy of the contained modem and receiver being based on TSMC 4 nm and 7 nm processes (respectively). Qualcomm has not revealed the fundamental aspects of its new Snapdragon X85, so it is difficult to project its power consumption habits. Official press material concentrates on two big selling points: downlink speeds up to 12.5 Gbps, and 40 TOPS of NPU processing power. Insiders have posited that the in-house designed C1 modem will make its way into next-gen iPads and Apple wearables—additionally, the development of a successor is rumored. Despite doing less business with Apple, Amon thinks that the future is peachy: "if modem is relevant there's always a place for Qualcomm technology. In the age of AI, modems are going to be more important than they have ever been. And I think that's going to drive consumer preference about do they want the best possible modem in the computer that's in their hand all the time." Qualcomm's chief expects that the supply of Snapdragon 5G Modem‑RF Systems—to Apple—will end in 2027.

Ahead of Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced an expanded collaboration to drive enterprise-grade generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across edge and cloud devices designed to enable increased immediacy, privacy, reliability, personalization, and reduced cost and energy consumption. Through this collaboration, the companies plan to integrate watsonx.governance for generative AI solutions powered by Qualcomm Technologies' platforms, and enable support for IBM's Granite models through the Qualcomm AI Inference Suite and Qualcomm AI Hub.

"At Qualcomm Technologies, we are excited to join forces with IBM to deliver cutting-edge, enterprise-grade generative AI solutions for devices across the edge and cloud," said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, technology planning and edge solutions, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "This collaboration enables businesses to deploy AI solutions that are not only fast and personalized but also come with robust governance, monitoring, and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to enhance the overall reliability of AI from edge to cloud."

Qualcomm has introduced "Dragonwing," a new brand portfolio consolidating its non-Snapdragon products for industrial applications. The portfolio encompasses industrial IoT, networking, and cellular infrastructure solutions previously marketed under various product lines. The Dragonwing stack integrates AI processing capabilities with low-power computing and connectivity technologies optimized for edge deployment. Target applications include industrial robotics, specialized cameras, industrial handhelds, and unmanned aerial systems. Qualcomm aims to position these solutions in sectors including energy utilities, manufacturing, retail, supply chain, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The branding effort marks a strategic diversification beyond Qualcomm's consumer-focused Snapdragon line. Visually, Dragonwing adopts a purple color scheme that combines elements from Qualcomm's corporate identity with a stylized dragon icon. The portfolio will debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (March 3-7) and Embedded World in Nuremberg (March 11-13). Although limited, for now, information about Dragonwing processors and solutions should appear soon and give an insight into interesting low-power solutions that will power the next stage of the industrial revolution. Qualcomm has decided to use its mobile development experience and know-how to tap a large market, and solid branding will help it differentiate from competitors instead of the generic product names used in the past. Additionally, Qualcomm's Dragonwing products are mostly focused on more mature nodes like 14 nm and larger, instead of chasing the 3 nm and smaller like its Snapdragon product portfolio.

The late 2024 news cycle suggested that Samsung's semiconductor business was going through tough times. Alleged yield problems—affecting the 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process—were highlighted last November. Fast-forward to January 2025; the South Korean megacorp has launched its cutting-edge Galaxy S25 smartphone series. The entire lineup of newly unveiled flagship smartphones contains Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipsets; the Southern Californian chip designer is reportedly pulling in a tidy sum from this partnership. Fresh reports from South Korean news outlets indicate that Samsung System LSI employees have received an "encouraging" email from their boss, regarding current production predicaments.

Businesskorea and Sedaily reports include quotes extracted from the (apparently) leaked internal memo. LSI division president, Park Yong-in, reportedly stated: "we are currently in a situation where we have to develop two flagship products at the same time." Both articles allege that Samsung's semiconductor teams are expected to "cultivate roots and withstand storms." Industry watchdogs believe that the aforementioned "flagship products" are the Exynos 2500 mobile chipset, and Samsung Electronic's next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone family. Earlier this month, we heard whispers about the much-delayed in-house chip design being readied (with a 2 nm process) for a possible late 2025 launch, inside unannounced Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 devices. Park disclosed anticipated incoming obstacles in 2025: "last year's business division profit was higher than expected, but this was a temporary phenomenon...Looking at the entire business division, there will be monthly surpluses and deficits." Last month, inside sources proposed the notion that foundry investments were slashed in half.

Retro tech lovers who have a knack for gaming handhelds will likely be rather pleased with Sugar Cubes' latest creation - the N97 Elite gaming handheld. As the name suggests, the handheld draws inspiration from the Nokia N97 of '09, and all of its sliding glory. The company has already started shipping out the device to customers, although it is China-only for the foreseeable future. Despite that, there is no denying that the N97 Elite handheld is an incredibly exciting looking gadget for those who miss the good old days of smartphones - that is, before the glass-slab trend took off.

At its core, the N97 Elite handheld packs a decent amount of computing horsepower. Powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus - an SoC once found in Android flagships - paired with 12 GB of memory, the N97 Elite should be able to breeze through most emulation workloads. The compact handheld comes equipped with a 4.7-inch touch-enabled display, which slides out to reveal the controls. Speaking of which, the controls look pretty disappointing at first sight, although that would be hard to judge without trying the thing in real life. However, given the compact nature, the experience is unlikely to be a comfortable one, and the lack of an analog stick is understandable, but disappointing regardless. The system does have a built-in fan, which should help with sustained workloads.

Qualcomm has announced its latest mid-range offering, dubbed the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, the improvements on the CPU side are rather modest, with Qualcomm claiming an 11% improvement. The CPU, now based on TSMC N4, packs four ARMv9-based Cortex-A720 P-cores, along with four Cortex-A520 E-cores, making it an 8-core system as tradition. On the GPU side, however, a substantial 29% improvement has been asserted, although the specifics remain under wraps as of this writing.

The chipset can be paired with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5-3200 memory, and displays up to FHD+ at 144 Hz are supported. INT4 support is also present the new NPU, which should allow for decent on-device AI capabilities. Gaming performance should also witness a decent jump, thanks to the aforementioned GPU improvement, paired with Game Super Resolution (upscaling) and Frame Motion Engine (frame generation, every other frame). For connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and 5G (mm Wave, sub-6 GHz) are present. Up to 200 MP single-camera systems are supported, with Snapdragon's LLV (Low Light Vision) technology, Of course, being a budget segment SoC, it would be futile to expect high-end photography capabilities. As for videography, 4k30 and 1080p120 are supported, along with HLG and HDR10.

A recent leak from the reliable analyst Evan Blass has revealed a bunch of new ThinkPad, ThinkBook, and Yoga devices set to see the light of day at MWC 2025. Although the tweet has been deleted by Evan, Notebookcheck was able to summarize the information provided in the nick of time. First up, we have the refreshed ThinkPads, including the T14, T14s, T16, and X13. All the devices are equipped with the beloved TrackPoint, unlike the recently launched ThinkPad X9 Aura. The T14 G6 and T16 G4 are expected to be marketed as a CoPilot+ PC, indicating Lunar Lake prowess. However, the processor powering the X13 is not known at this point.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura will also reportedly see the light of day at MWC 2025, packing a 16-inch display with an unconfirmed Intel processor. As for the ThinkBooks, the lineup will likely welcome two new entrants, including the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 -- a 14-inch convertible with a touchscreen and stylus support -- and the ThinkBook 16P G6 - a 16-inch device that is rumored to boast a dedicated GPU, a numeric keypad, and a spacious trackpad. Finally, we have the IdeaPad Slim 3x, which will boast the entry-level Snapdragon X processor and position itself as a budget device with a 16-inch display, fingerprint scanner, SD card reader, USB-A and USB-C ports, as well as a privacy cover for the webcam. The image order has been detailed below.

As smartphone SoCs continue to get more powerful every single cycle, there seems to be a plethora of gaming-oriented smartphones entering the market. The pricey ASUS ROG Phone 9 lineup is perhaps the most well known in this regard, powered by the impressively potent Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. However, the smartphone is well outside most people's budgets, and ASUS seems to have taken note of that. The company has now unveiled a more affordable version, dubbed the ROG Phone 9 FE. However, the smartphone is only available in Thailand for now, commanding a price tag of $890.

On paper, it appears that the only difference between the ROG Phone 9, and the 9 FE is the chipset. While the pricier sibling utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, the FE has to make do with the substantially inferior Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Apart from that, the ROG Phone 9 FE is almost identical to the vanilla Phone 9, sporting 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory, 256 GB storage, a 50 MP primary shooter, 13 MP wide-angle shooter, and a 5 MP macro camera. At the front, a 32 MP selfie camera sits above the 6.78-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 and a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz. In synthetic benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Elite leads the 8 Gen 3 by around 25-30% in CPU tests, and around 30-35% in GPU benchmarks, although it does consume more power, which is to be expected.

Microsoft will roll out "NPU-optimized versions of DeepSeek-R1" directly to Copilot+ PCs—yesterday's announcement revealed that Qualcomm Snapdragon X-equipped systems will be first in line to receive support. Owners of devices—that harbor Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" processors—will have to wait a little longer, and reports suggest that AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX-based Copilot+ PCs will be third in Microsoft's queue. Interestingly, Team Red has published DeepSeek R1 model-related guides for Radeon RX graphics cards and Ryzen AI processors. Starting off, Microsoft's first release will be based on DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-1.5B—made available in AI Toolkit. Teased future updates will be 7B and 14B variants. These are expected to "arrive soon."

Microsoft reckons that the optimized models will: "let developers build and deploy AI-powered applications that run efficiently on-device, taking full advantage of the powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPUs) in Copilot+ PCs. The on-board AI-crunching solution is advertised as a tool for empowerment—allowing: "developers to tap into powerful reasoning engines to build proactive and sustained experiences. With our work on Phi Silica, we were able to harness highly efficient inferencing—delivering very competitive time to first token and throughput rates, while minimally impacting battery life and consumption of PC resources." Western companies appear to be participating in a race to swiftly adopt DeepSeek's open source model, due to apparent cost benefits. Certain North American organizations have disclosed their own views and reservations, but others will happily pay less for a potent alternative to locally-developed systems. In a separate bulletin (also posted on January 29), Microsoft's AI platform team revealed that a cloud-hosted DeepSeek R1 model is available on Azure AI Foundry and GitHub.

As evidenced in leaks from late last year, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile processor is no slouch in terms of gaming performance—to be more specific, it is surprisingly adept at emulating "AAA" titles in an Android OS environment. Past examples include test platforms—allegedly—hitting 60+ frames per second (FPS) in A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), and an astounding 160 FPS in Red Dead Redemption's recent-ish PC conversion (originally a 2010 release on PS3 & Xbox 360). Earlier this week, NoI_Revenant's attention was drawn to intriguing camera footage that was freshly uploaded to Bilibili. Said video demonstrates the PC version (2019) of Red Dead Redemption 2 running on an unnamed mobile device equipped with Qualcomm's flagship SoC.

Follow-up posts and comments propose that the game was running via a specific (Android-based) emulation application: Winlator. Observers have pointed out that it is difficult to ascertain exact details regarding visual fidelity from an overly blurry video—the original uploader/leaker mentions that they implemented "low graphical settings." On-screen information shows measured frame rates hovering around the 60 FPS mark. Industry experts reckon that Qualcomm latest "game-changing" Adreno GPU is capable of surpassing AMD's omnipresent Radeon 780M—a popular integrated graphics solution, frequently found in Ryzen Z1 Extreme-equipped handheld gaming PCs.

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.