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.

Last October, Apple introduced its modernized range of MacBook Pro models; featuring the M4 family of chips. Ultra-thin notebook enthusiasts wondered whether the MacBook Air range series would receive similar treatment in the near future. Apple provided an answer around December-time, by accidentally publishing "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13" machine listings within their macOS Sequoia 15.2 release. MacRumors believed that the referenced models are MacBook Air M4 13-inch and M4 15-inch products. At the time, industry moles suggested that Apple had settled on a possible April (2025) launch window. A fresh follow-up report points to an earlier than anticipated release—MacRumors reckons that a recent leak indicates an "imminent" launch.

Yesterday, the publication discovered intriguing information online; posted by an anonymous source on X. Based on said leak, MacRumors reports that the updated MacBook Air models: "will be equipped with Apple's T8132 chip." Apple's internal reference code points to both 13-inch and 15-inch models housing a 10-core M4 chipset (part number: APL1206). Mark Gurman—Bloomberg's resident technology guru—has picked up on signs of dwindling current-gen MacBook Air M3 stock. His weekend detective work suggests that successors are only weeks away from launch.

At the end of January, Samsung Electronics released their financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2024. Smartphone tech watchdogs paid close to attention to the South Korean giant's accompanying earnings call. The recently released Galaxy S25 smartphone family is, exclusively, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets—insiders believe that Samsung opted out of utilizing proprietary chip designs (for this generation) due to missed production goals. Late last year, inside sources pointed to the foundry's allegedly problematic 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process node. Follow-up reports suggest that Samsung engineers have moved onto developing a 2 nm manufacturing process, possibly linked to a re-designed Exynos 2500 flagship mobile processor.

Brian Ma, a technology industry analyst, extracted relevant information from Samsung's recent earnings meeting—several press outlets have picked up on his brief social media post. The IDC employee stated: "Samsung System LSI just mentioned in its earnings call that it's optimizing Exynos 2500 and 'aiming' to secure design wins for mobile models scheduled for release in 2H" The rumor mill has proposed that new "Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7" smartphone models are currently in the development pipeline—coincidental timing indicates that the two devices could launch later in 2025, potentially with next-gen flagship Exynos SoCs onboard. Tipsters reckon that the Exynos 2500 is configured with a 10-core cluster, and its integrated graphics solution will be an AMD RDNA 3.5-enabled Xclipse 950 model.

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.

Earlier in the week, ASRock debuted its Intel B860/H810 and full range of AMD B850 motherboards—the TechPowerUp team headed across CES 2025's showroom floor to check whether the Taiwanese manufacturer had some of these newly announced products on display. Various white Steel Legend models were present, including an intriguing B850 mainboard sample sporting ASRock's back mount design (BMD). The B860M Pro BMD board was not in sight (or not captured on camera)—according to a press release from earlier in the week, BMD had its premiere on this Intel-based solution.

AsRock reps happily showed off two Intel B860-chipset Steel Legend boards with traditional all-front facing connectors—an ATX option as well as an M-ATX (B860M) model were examined from close-up. A Phantom Gaming B860 Lightning Wi-Fi model was presented to TechPowerUp—its darker aesthetic contrasts sharply when lined up against its pale Steel Legend neighbors.

Earlier today, ASUS uploaded a first sneak peek of several upcoming AMD AM5 motherboards—which we assume will feature the B850 and B840 chipsets—which according to the post on Facebook, will be launching within a couple of weeks. The boards will most likely be on display at CES, which kicks off on the 7th of January. The picture is obfuscated for obvious reasons, but what is clear is that there will be several different SKUs from all of ASUS' typical sub-brands such as TUF Gaming and ROG.

What we can also make out is that there will be at least one Mini-ITX board and one micro-ATX board, with the latter being the TUF Gaming branded board. We tried to clean up the picture a bit, but ASUS has managed to hide all details of possible models names and most of the text is kind of hard to make out. Nothing really sticks out in terms of features, although it's clear we'll end up seeing some higher-end B850 boards, judging by the fact that there are at least three ROG Strix SKUs coming. The question is if there's a market for these boards, considering the B850 chipset is pretty much the same as the B650E chipset, but with optional PCIe 5.0 support for the M.2 slots and no USB4, unlike its X870 counterpart.

Update Jan 1st: ASUS posted a picture of their upcoming mid-range Intel boards on Facebook as well, but as with the AMD boards, ASUS obfuscated the image, although not quite as badly this time around. For its Intel lineup, there's also a lower-end Prime board included, in addition to the TUF Gaming and ROG Strix boards. ASUS didn't reveal any launch window for the Intel boards.

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that it has delivered the industry's first complete memory interface chipset solutions for the second-generation DDR5 Multi-Capacity Rank Dual In-Line Memory Modules (MRDIMMs).

The new DDR5 MRDIMMs are needed to keep pace with the ever-increasing memory bandwidth demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance Compute (HPC) and other data center applications. They deliver operating speeds up to 12,800 Mega Transfers Per Second (MT/s), a 1.35x improvement in memory bandwidth over first-generation solutions. Renesas has been instrumental in the design, development and deployment of the new MRDIMMs, collaborating with industry leaders including CPU and memory providers, along with end customers.

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."

In an interview with Reviews.org, Valve's designers Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat discussed the Steam Deck. They talked about the console's future and confirmed that it will not have a yearly release schedule like most handheld console makers. Usually, makers of handheld PCs and gaming consoles like ASUS with its ROG Ally, GPD with its Pocket, Lenovo with Legion GO, and many others follow a yearly update structure of its products to put the latest and greatest chipsets into their products. However, Valve is taking a more conservative approach to updating its famous Steam Deck console.

"We're not going to do a bump every year," said Lawrence Yang, adding that "There's no reason to do that. And, honestly, from our perspective, that's kind of not really fair to your customers to come out with something so soon that's only incrementally better. So we really do want to wait for a generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life before we ship the real second generation of Steam Deck. But it is something that we're excited about and we're working on." The infamous successor to the original Steam Deck, Steam Deck 2, is currently shrouded in mystery. We don't have much information about the hardware that will power it, nor is there a release date. However, as Valve notes, it will be a "generational leap in compute" bringing more gaming capability to the platform. With many competitors releasing handheld gaming consoles, we are expecting Valve to come out with a new console soon.

MSI proudly introduces the next generation of motherboards, designed to pair seamlessly with Intel brand-new Core Ultra Processors. The Z890 MEG Series, MPG Series, MAG Series, and PRO Series motherboards are designed to harness the power of Intel's latest technology, delivering enhanced AI computing efficiency compared to previous generations. These boards provide exceptional performance with advanced features, MSI innovations, premium components, and improved connectivity. But what truly sets them apart is their user-friendly DIY solutions, empowering you to take control of your computing experience. Built with gamers, creators, and all users in mind, MSI's Z890 motherboards offer the very best in computing power. On launch, there will be 5 models available, which are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K / 265KF, and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K / 245KF processors.

With the introduction of MSI's Z890 motherboards, designed to push performance boundaries and with a completely redesigned, more intuitive BIOS, users can now maximize motherboard performance with ease. Powered by MSI's Ultra Engine, memory design optimization enables overclocking up to 9200+ MT/s across the entire Z890 motherboard lineup. And with the returning of the MEG Z890 UNIFY-X, built with overclocking in mind, takes memory frequencies even higher, reaching up to 9600 MT/s. The Z890 motherboards incorporate a number of powerful features like AI Boost with the ability to overclock the NPU further for AI enhancement capabilities, Game Boost, Performance Preset, enhanced XMP Memory Profiles, and Memory Try It!, allowing users to elevate their system's performance to new heights.

MSI unveils the X870E and X870 motherboards, designed to harness the full power of AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series desktop processors. The lineup includes four models: MEG X870E GODLIKE, MPG X870E CARBON WIFI, MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, and PRO X870-P WIFI. These motherboards deliver exceptional value and performance with cutting-edge features and exclusive MSI innovations. Offering top components, innovative features, and easy DIY options, MSI's X870E and X870 motherboards make building and using your PC seamless.

Introducing MSI's Ultra Connect feature in the X870E and X870 motherboards, offering next-gen networking, storage, and expansion. With built-in 5G LAN and Wi-Fi 7, users can enjoy lightning-fast speeds, reaching up to 5.8 Gbps. As well as TriLink Connectivity, Expansion is made to future-proof with PCIe Gen 5.0 for next-gen graphics cards and SSDs. The USB4 ports, which are Thunderbolt compatible, enable fast data transfers and support a wide range of next-gen devices, including display output through USB-C.

AMD today released the Ryzen Chipset Drivers 6.07.22.037 WHQL. The drivers are essential for notebooks powered by the latest Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" processors, as they add driver support for the various SoC interfaces of the chip. The drivers are also needed to expose the NPU of Ryzen 7000 "Phoenix," Ryzen 8000 "Hawk Point," Ryzen 8000G desktop APUs, and Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" processors as a classified device in the Windows Device Manager, as well as give Windows 11 the ability to read out the NPU in the Task Manager, so you can look for things there such as real-time NPU utilization, memory footprint, and driver version. The driver package also updates the drivers of the various components, including GPIO, PSP, PPM, USB4 host controller, etc. It also adds program support for various interfaces of the SoC, including SMBus, Hetero, and RCEC. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Chipset Drivers 6.07.22.037

ASUS today announced an all-new range of servers, workstations and motherboards driven by the power of AMD EPYC 4004 CPUs - heralding next-level performance and density. The new offerings include: ASUS Pro ER100A B6, a compact, 1U rack server. ASUS ExpertCenter Pro ET500A B6, a power-efficient Zen 4 workstation, ASUS Pro WS 665-ACE, a resilient ATX workstation motherboard; and ASUS Pro WS 600M-CL, a compact, chipset-less mATX motherboard for workstation applications.

Engineered specifically for the dynamic needs of small businesses and hosted IT service providers, these business-grade platforms empower high-performance computing in diverse forms, from ready-to-roll workstations to powerful motherboards. Ideal for a variety of applications, from cloud services to dedicated hosting or content delivery, ASUS equipment with AMD EPYC 4004-series processors ensure that that evolving business operations are powered by the performance the modern world demands - and backed by the ASUS expertise enterprise expects.

What appears to be the full details of all of Intel's upcoming 800-series chipsets have leaked and although we've already seen what the Z890 chipset will offer, no details of the other SKUs have leaked to date. Maybe the biggest news is that there won't be an H870 chipset this time around, according to the leaker @jaykihn0 over at X/Twitter. The full range appears to be Z890, B860 and H810 for consumers, W880 for workstations and Q870 for corporate desktops. That said, the Z890 and W880 are identical in terms of slots and ports, but whereas the W880 gains full ECC support and Intel vPro and remote management, it loses the CPU and bus overclocking features of the Z890. The Q870 loses four chipset PCIe 4.0 lanes, one 20 Gbps or two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports, but is otherwise similar to the Z890, minus all the overclocking features, but with Intel vPro and remote management.

The B860 ends up on the chopping block as always and loses not only 10 chipset PCIe lanes compared to the Z890 chipset, but also four lanes from the CPU and four lanes on the DMI interface to the chipset. On top of that bifurcation goes out the window toigether with PCIe RAID and the chipset is only capable of having two 20 Gbps or four 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports, but at least memory overclocking is still on the table. Finally, the H810 chipset is as basic as it gets, with no extra CPU PCIe lanes beyond the 16 lanes for a graphics card, but they are at least PCIe 5.0 this time around. The chipset itself is only equipped with a mere eight PCIe 4.0 lanes and it gets zero 20 Gbps and two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports. Note that all platforms support one or two Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports, but it's unclear if this is native support or via an add-on chip. Also note that the USB ports are shared and the maximum count is that for the 5 Gbps ports in the details below, so the Z890 for example, doesn't have 25 USB 3.2 ports in total, but rather only 10. All in all, we'll see a migration to PCIe 5.0 for the x16 slot across the entire 800-series chipset range and from the B860 and up, all chipsets will have a dedicated PCIe 5.0 x4 interface that will most likely be used for an M.2 slot. Also, the PCIe lane count is the maximum, but due to Intel's HSIO layout, some resources will be shared with SATA and Ethernet, which means not all PCIe lanes will be accessible.

TrendForce has observed that in 2024, major CSPs such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and AWS will continue to be the primary buyers of high-end AI servers, which are crucial for LLM and AI modeling. Following establishing a significant AI training server infrastructure in 2024, these CSPs are expected to actively expand into edge AI in 2025. This expansion will include the development of smaller LLM models and setting up edge AI servers to facilitate AI applications across various sectors, such as manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and business.

Moreover, AI PCs or notebooks share a similar architecture to AI servers, offering substantial computational power and the ability to run smaller LLM and generative AI applications. These devices are anticipated to serve as the final bridge between cloud AI infrastructure and edge AI for small-scale training or inference applications.

The PC (desktops, notebooks, and workstations) market in Mainland China is forecast to contract by 1% in 2024 according to the latest Canalys data. The first quarter of the year already saw a sharp decline, with shipments down 12%, in contrast to the global market which returned to growth. Desktop shipments are expected to perform well in 2024, growing 10% annually as they benefit from commercial sector refresh demand, especially from large state-held enterprises and local governments. Notebook shipments are set to drop 5%, as demand from consumers and the private sector is anticipated to remain cautious on short-term expenditure such as PCs.

China's PC market trajectory is diverging from global trends in its recovery journey. In Q1 2024, the commercial sector bore the brunt of the market downturn, undergoing a 19% decline due to weak IT spending by large enterprises. The decline in consumer shipments was milder, with shipments dropping 8%. However, despite the muted performance in 2024, significant local developments point to a stronger market in 2025, in which PC shipments are expected to grow 12%.

At COMPUTEX 2024, MediaTek will showcase new products and technology demonstrations, featuring highlights in AI, Smart TVs, Chromebooks, IoT and more, in addition to a keynote by Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Rick Tsai about how MediaTek can enable ubiquitous AI.

At this year's show, MediaTek will debut two new chipsets with powerful performance and support for the latest AI enhancements across multiple verticals: the Kompanio 838 SoC for premium Chromebooks, and the Pentonic 800 SoC for 4K premium smart TVs and displays.

AMD is debuting its Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processors powered by the "Zen 5" microarchitecture later this year. These chips are compatible with existing AMD 600-series chipset motherboards with a simple UEFI firmware update, but the company is also taking the opportunity to launch the AMD 800-series chipset family alongside these chips. The lineup will be led by the AMD X870E, followed by the X870. These two chipsets should launch immediately alongside the new processors, but will later be joined by the AMD B850 and B840. There's no entry-level chipset planned, the AMD A620 will continue to hold the fort for AMD here. There is an interesting new mix of product differentiation, according to a leaked GIGABYTE slide scored by VideoCardz.

If you recall, the X670E and X670 were differentiated by a lack of Gen 5 PCI-Express x16 PEG slots on the X670, which instead was limited to Gen 4 on the PEG slot. The X670 still had Gen 5 NVMe slots attached to the CPU, and had practically the same I/O features as the X670E, including the same counts of downstream PCIe Gen 4 general purpose lanes. Both the X670E and X670 are 2-chip solutions, in that the second chip is a connected to the general purpose PCIe lanes of the first chip, which in turn is connected to the processor. Things are going to change with the 800-series. The top-spec X870E will be a 2-chip solution, with PCIe Gen 4 general purpose lane counts resembling the X670E; but the X870 is a single-chip solution that more closely resembles the B650E in I/O. The X870 (non-E) now gives you Gen 5 PCI-Express x16 PEG, just like the X870E and the B650E, and at least one Gen 5 x4 NVMe slot attached to the CPU, but has fewer downstream Gen 4 general purpose PCIe lanes than the X670. Both the X870E and X870 assure USB4 connectivity, and support CPU overclocking. Things get very interesting in the mid-range.

MediaTek today announced the Dimensity 7300 and the Dimensity 7300X, a pair of ultra-efficient 4 nm chips for high-tech mobile offerings. Providing best-in-class power efficiency and excellent performance, the Dimensity 7300 chipsets enable effortless multitasking, superior photography, accelerated gaming, and AI-enhanced computing; additionally, the Dimensity 7300X is designed with flip-style foldable devices in mind, providing support for dual displays.

Both MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipsets have an octa-core CPU consisting of 4X Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at up to 2.5 GHz paired with 4X Arm Cortex-A55 cores. The 4 nm process provides up to 25% lower power consumption in the A78 cores compared to the Dimensity 7050. The CPU works together with the latest Arm Mali-G615 GPU and a suite of MediaTek HyperEngine optimizations to accelerate gaming experiences. In comparison to competitor alternatives, the Dimensity 7300 series offers 20% faster FPS and 20% improved energy efficiency. To further enhance gaming experiences, the new chips utilize smart resource optimization, optimize 5G and Wi-Fi game connections, and support Bluetooth LE Audio technology with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio.

A couple of weeks ago, we reported on NVIDIA directing users of Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake and 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs to consult Intel for any issues with system stability. Motherboard makers, by default, often run the CPU outside of Intel's recommended specifications, overvolting the CPU through modifying voltage curves, automatic overclocks, and removing power limits.

Today, we learned that Igor's Lab has obtained a statement from Intel that the company prepared for motherboard OEMs regarding the issues multiple users report. Intel CPUs come pre-programmed with a stock voltage curve. When motherboard makers remove power limits and automatically adjust voltage curves and frequency targets, the CPU can be pushed outside its safe operating range, possibly causing system instability. Intel has set up a dedicated website for users to report their issues and offer support. Manufacturers like GIGABYTE have already issued new BIOS updates for users to achieve maximum stability, which incidentally has recent user reports of still being outside Intel spec, setting PL2 to 188 W, loadlines to 1.7/1.7 and current limit to 249 A. While MSI provided a blog post tutorial for stability. ASUS has published updated BIOS for its motherboards to reflect on this Intel baseline spec as well. Surprisingly, not all the revised BIOS values match up with the Intel Baseline Profile spec for these various new BIOS updates from different vendors. You can read the statement from Intel in the quote below.

The latest TrendForce report reveals a notable 7.9% jump in 4Q23 revenue for the world's top ten semiconductor foundries, reaching $30.49 billion. This growth is primarily driven by sustained demand for smartphone components, such as mid and low-end smartphone APs and peripheral PMICs. The launch season for Apple's latest devices also significantly contributed, fueling shipments for the A17 chipset and associated peripheral ICs, including OLED DDIs, CIS, and PMICs. TSMC's premium 3 nm process notably enhanced its revenue contribution, pushing its global market share past the 60% threshold this quarter.

TrendForce remarks that 2023 was a challenging year for foundries, marked by high inventory levels across the supply chain, a weak global economy, and a slow recovery in the Chinese market. These factors led to a downward cycle in the industry, with the top ten foundries experiencing a 13.6% annual drop as revenue reached just $111.54 billion. Nevertheless, 2024 promises a brighter outlook, with AI-driven demand expected to boost annual revenue by 12% to $125.24 billion. TSMC, benefiting from steady advanced process orders, is poised to far exceed the industry average in growth.

SMIC, China's largest semiconductor manufacturer, is reportedly assembling a dedicated team to develop 3 nm semiconductor node technology, following reports of the company setting up 5 nm chip production for Huawei later this year. This move is part of SMIC's efforts to achieve independence from foreign companies and reduce its reliance on US technology. According to a report from Joongang, SMIC's initial goal is to commence operations of its 5 nm production line, which will mass-produce Huawei chipsets for various products, including AI silicon. However, SMIC is already looking beyond the 5 nm node. The company has assembled an internal research and development team to begin work on the next-generation 3 nm node.

The Chinese manufacturer is expected to accomplish this using existing DUV machinery, as ASML, the sole supplier of advanced EUV technology, is prohibited from providing equipment to Chinese companies due to US restrictions. It is reported that one of the biggest challenges facing SMIC is the potential for low yields and high production costs. The company is seeking substantial subsidies from the Chinese government to overcome these obstacles. Receiving government subsidies will be crucial for SMIC, especially considering that its 5 nm chips are expected to be up to 50 percent more expensive than TSMC's due to the use of older DUV equipment. The first 3 nm wafers from SMIC are not expected to roll out for several years, as the company will prioritize the commercialization of Huawei's 5 nm chips. This ambitious undertaking by SMIC represents a significant challenge for the company as it strives to reduce its dependence on foreign semiconductor technology and establish itself as an essential player in the global manufacturing industry.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, discussed planned generative AI software features during an early February earnings call: "As we look ahead, we will continue to invest in these and other technologies that will shape the future. That includes artificial intelligence, where we continue to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort, and we're excited to share the details of our ongoing work in that space later this year." His "prepared" statement did not provide any specific insights into involved technologies, but many iPhone experts believe that the upcoming release of iOS 18 could be "the biggest update" in Apple mobile operating system history. The American multinational technology giant is seemingly taking a relaxed approach with internal artificial intelligence developments—rival smartphone maker, Samsung, has already jumped into the on-the-go AI deep end with its recently launched Galaxy S24 series. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) chipset is ready to take on all sorts of artificial intelligence-augmented tasks, while a next-gen ARM Cortex-X "Blackhawk" unit (leveraging "great" LLM performance) is in the pipeline for a late 2024 rollout.

Taiwan's Economic Daily News has reached out to insider contacts, albeit on the hardware side of things—their sources reckon that Apple is working on next generation processors that sport "significantly upgraded Neural Engine performance with additional cores." Tipsters believe that plans for 2024 include an effort to "significantly strengthen the AI computing power of the (existing) M3 and A17 processors," while the true "new generation" M4 and Bionic A18 chipsets will be augmented with greater AI computing core counts. Taiwan's top foundry is reportedly in the mix: "Apple has strengthened the AI computing performance of mobile devices and greatly increased the computing power of its own processors, which has simultaneously increased its wafer investment in TSMC. According to industry sources, Apple's wafer production volume for TSMC's 3 nm enhanced version process this year is expected to increase by more than 50% compared with last year, making it firmly the largest customer of TSMC."

Cristiano Renno Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm, discussed the successful launch of his company's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform during a January 31 Earnings Call—expectations have been set high for the flagship smartphone chipset: "(bringing) a new standard for on-device gen AI experiences for premium smartphones and powers all through flagship Android devices launched and launching this fiscal year." Amon highlighted Samsung's recently rolled out Galaxy S24 Ultra range, that makes use of a special "For Galaxy" Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Industry watchdogs have continued to question Samsung's reliance on third-party processor solutions (including MediaTek Dimensity parts), despite having access to plenty of "worthy" in-house technology. Their flagship Exynos 2400 chip has been deployed with the Galaxy S24 Plus range, but Qualcomm Snapdragon-equipped devices offer better performance and efficiency.

The picky segment of Samsung's smartphone userbase will be pleased to hear about a renewed agreement between it and Qualcomm, which includes a trickling down to mid-range offerings—Amon made a big announcement during the late January conference call: "We're also announcing that we extended a multi-year agreement with Samsung relating to Snapdragon platforms for flagship Galaxy smartphone launches starting in 2024. The extended agreement demonstrates the value of Snapdragon 8, our technology leadership and our successful long-term strategic partnership with Samsung. In the quarter, we also announced the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 mobile platform, which brings leading gen AI capabilities to high-tier Android smartphones and is a category leader in both experiences and performance." Going forward, Samsung is likely sticking with its current operating model of peppering a mix of Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets throughout its Galaxy Z, S and A product ranges.