The next generation of Snapdragon processors may well catch up with Samsung’s Exynos 7420 before the end of the year. As can be learned today via an official TSMC press release, the smelter has announced a new version of its 16 nanometer FinFET engraving process and is expected to move to a 10 nm engraving as early as next year.
Mobile processors engraved in 10 nm from next year.
Although the news does not come directly from Qualcomm but from its supplier, one cannot help but make the link with future generations of Snapdragon processors since it is TSMC that burns the majority of Qualcomm’s chips.
As noted in its latest press release TMSC will increase its production of chips engraved in 16 nm from next summer. With this new manufacturing process, the next generations of mobile processors will be both more powerful and more energy efficient.
But that’s not all, because as we can read a little below, TSMC is already anticipating the sequel and plans to produce chips engraved in 10 nanometers as early as next year. Even smaller than the chips engraved in 16 nm, they will also be 20% faster and 50% more energy efficient.
- Related: Samsung is already anticipating its future 10-nm processors
Regarding future chips engraved in 10 nm, we feel that the company is looking to catch up with Samsung and Intel. One of its answerables, Handel Jones, states, among other things, about its competitor’s processors:
Samsung claimed they were in production, but we didn’t see anything (…) With the acceleration of chips in 10 nanometers that could lead to 8 nm, TSMC will close its gap with Intel.
Of course, it remains to be seen who Qualcomm will choose as its supplier for its Snapdragon 820: Samsung and its 14 nm engraving or TSMC and its 16 nm engraving.
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