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Development of the coming Qualcomm 3nm chip might bring a partnership between three tech giants. While the launch of this chip is still a year away, its development process, which involves design and assembling, will kick off early. To facilitate this process reports claim that Qualcomm will partner with TSMC and Samsung.
This is quite intriguing because Qualcomm is currently working with TSMC alone. However, the chip designing and manufacturing firm previously had a business relationship with Samsung, which it severed. But the firm’s coming 3nm chip might bring its previous and current business partners on board.
While this might seem like a shocking move, it’s not uncommon in the tech industry for manufacturers to source materials from various providers. There are a few reasons that might warrant Qualcomm working with both TSMC and Samsung for the production of its coming chip. The reasons revolve around a possible improvement in the performance of one party’s 3nm fab, as well as saving production costs.
Reasons behind the possible involvement of both TSMC and Samsung in the coming Qualcomm 3nm chip
A recent analysis on this issue from Ming-Chi Kuo throws light on why double sourcing might be a thing for Qualcomm’s coming chip. Other reports also point out that Qualcomm is testing new chips with Samsung 3nm GAA technology. These chips have greatly improved in comparison with what was attainable with the Samsung 4nm entries.
Since Samsung’s 4nm fabrication process didn’t meet Qualcomm’s requirements, the company turned its attention elsewhere. This gave birth to the usage of the TSMC 4nm process for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and 2 processors. But with Samsung’s improvement in its 4nm process, Qualcomm might consider working with them again.
Additionally, there is the need to cut down on the production cost of 3nm chips. The development cost of chips with the new 3nm process will affect the coming Qualcomm processor. This coming processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will stick to using the 4nm process.
To cut down on the cost of developing the coming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, Qualcomm might need to look out of the box. This will mean sourcing chips from not only TSMC but also Samsung. Despite rumours that the next-gen TSMC N3E 3nm process will be cheaper, Qualcomm might need to further reduce production costs.
By doing this, the chip design and manufacturing firm will be able to cope with declining smartphone demands. There is no official statement concerning Qualcomm working with both TSMC and Samsung, but Ming-Chi Kuo’s analysis might be true. In the coming months, more details on this matter will be made available to the public.