Latest news with #N3P
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Qualcomm to unveil Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 at early summit in September 2025
Qualcomm has announced key details about its upcoming Snapdragon Summit set for September 23 to 25, 2025, in Hawaii. The event marks a shift to an earlier date compared to last year, signalling the company's intent to lead the market with new technology releases. The focus of this year's summit will be the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (model SM8850), the successor to last year's 8 Elite chip. Qualcomm plans to produce this new chipset using TSMC's N3P manufacturing process. This move is expected to deliver improvements in power efficiency and overall performance. Also read: ChatGPT now lets you download Deep Research reports as PDFs - here's how The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will introduce the Adreno 840 GPU, which is reported to boost graphics performance by up to 30 percent compared to the previous generation. The chipset may feature a CPU design with six high-performance cores plus two efficiency cores, enhanced Pegasus CPU cores, and clock speeds possibly reaching 5GHz. This setup aims to provide faster processing power across various tasks. Another notable feature expected in the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is support for LPDDR6 RAM, which will offer higher data transfer speeds. This addition positions the chip as a strong competitor to Apple's iPhone 17 series, anticipated to launch just weeks before Qualcomm's event. Also read: Google renames Find My Device to Find Hub: What's new, and why Android trackers still need work Brands such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, iQOO, and HONOR are likely to be among the first to equip their flagship smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, with device launches expected by late September or early October. Qualcomm will also highlight its Snapdragon X Elite 2 platform during the summit, which targets next-generation Windows laptops. The original Snapdragon X Elite, introduced in 2023, positioned Qualcomm as an alternative to Intel and AMD in ultrabooks and convertible laptops. The new version is expected to continue this trend, focusing on flagship Windows devices like Microsoft's Surface series. However, this chipset may not reach the market until 2026. Also read: iOS 19 to take to boost iPhone's battery life with help of AI Qualcomm's early scheduling of the Snapdragon Summit and the details shared suggest the company aims to establish a strong lead in the mobile and PC chip markets as 2025 progresses.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TSMC Readies for Flood of 2nm Orders in April
With both Intel and TSMC bringing their 2nm/sub-2nm nodes toward mass production, 2025 is set to be a year of fierce competition. Intel appears to be on pace with its plans to ramp up production of its sub-2nm 18A process later this year. TSMC, which has been firing on all cylinders while Intel struggled in recent years, starts taking orders April 1, according to a report in the China Times (via Wccftech). Apple, which has already worked with TSMC for iPhone chips, is apparently first in line for TSMC's new process, which isn't surprising. TSMC is reportedly shooting for 50,000 wafers per month (on the 2nm process) by the end of 2025. That puts it well ahead of Intel as far as 2nm production goes and likely gives TSMC a significant advantage in attracting customers. Although Apple appears to be the first customer, other major buyers are lining up. China Times points to AMD, Broadcom, AWS, and even Intel as potential customers for TSMC's 2nm process. The report also pointed out that TSMC chairman Wi Zhejia has indicated that demand for TSMC's 2nm process is outpacing TSMC's wildly popular 3nm process. Apple iPhone 16. Credit: Apple One issue that could play a role in the competition between Intel and TSMC is tariffs. Although the current administration hasn't employed semiconductor tariffs yet, it seems to have plans for tariffs in the future. Intel's fabs are in the US, while TSMC has a fledgling fab in Arizona and produces the bulk of its chips in Taiwan. It's not clear yet how (or even whether) tariffs will come into play, but it's likely something that TSMC is monitoring. The company also recently got the green light from Taiwan to produce its newest-generation tech abroad, which may prove crucial if tariffs come down on TSMC. Apple will likely use TSMC's 3nm technology for the upcoming iPhone 17. We hope to see that line arrive this fall with chips built using TSMC's N3P process, though official details haven't come out yet. That means you'll have to wait through one more iteration of the iPhone before getting your hands on one with Apple's A20 chips. The iPhone 18 is likely to have technology based on the 3nm process; the iPhone 18 Pro seems the most likely candidate to see the 2nm tech first.
