Array
(
    [content] => 
    [params] => Array
        (
            [0] => /forum/index.php?threads/samsung-bags-qcom-chip-orders-ahead-of-tsmc.11395/
        )

    [addOns] => Array
        (
            [DL6/MLTP] => 13
            [Hampel/TimeZoneDebug] => 1000070
            [SV/ChangePostDate] => 2010200
            [SemiWiki/Newsletter] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/WPMenu] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/XPressExtend] => 1000010
            [ThemeHouse/XLink] => 1000970
            [ThemeHouse/XPress] => 1010570
            [XF] => 2021370
            [XFI] => 1050270
        )

    [wordpress] => /var/www/html
)

Samsung bags QCOM chip orders ahead of TSMC?

Daniel Nenni

Admin
Staff member
This article is from someone who knows very little about semiconductors but speaks with authority just the same. To be fair he does not know better and someone played him for a fool but he gets clicks and that is the current state of semiconductor media:

Seasoned tech content writer at Gizmochina with a keen interest in smartphones and other tech gadgets; Robots, VR, cameras, drones, AR, and lots. Follow me on Twitter - @jedi_ikoba or on Instagram - jedikoba

1

-
Jun 10, 2019
"Although negotiations are said to still be ongoing, both firms have reportedly entered the final stage of process negotiation. Qualcomm is expected to launch the Snapdragon 865 in 2020. Apart from Qualcomm, other OEMs expected to use Samsung’s 7nm EUV include NVIDIA, IBM and several others apart from Apple and Huawei. The next-gen chipset is also expected to come in two versions, a standard version and another equipped with Snapdragon X55 5G chipset. "


I can assure you that a wafer agreement was signed many many months ago. QCOM has used multiple fabs every since I have worked with them (20+ years) and they will continue to do so, especially now that there are only two leading edge fabs. This chip that negotiations are said to be "ongoing" has already taped-out on Samsung 7nm. The previous QCOM chip uses TSMC 7nm.

The fables companies are in a real bind due to all of the systems companies that are now making their own SoCs and domain specific processors. The systems companies do not sell chips so wafer costs are not high on the list of priorities. Fab relationship is due to capacity and process collaboration and that usually means sole source (Apple). The fabless companies on the other hand are cost cutting so they will play the wafer pricing game between TSMC and Samsung for the rest of their margin constrained lives, absolutely.
 
Back
Top