50%
Plausible
Intel appears to have secured a second major customer, this time for its bleeding-edge 14A process, with a wild rumor identifying MediaTek and its Dimensity chips as a source of marginal strength for Intel's still-fledgling advanced node.
After Apple tentatively tapped its 18A process, Intel appears to have secured MediaTek as a major customer for the bleeding-edge 14A process
We already know that Apple might opt for Intel's 18A-P process for its lowest-end M-series chips that are expected to ship in 2027, as well as non-Pro iPhone chips in 2028. In fact, GF Securities recently went a step further by noting that Apple's bespoke ASIC - expected to launch in 2028 - will leverage Intel's EMIB packaging.
We noted recently that Apple has already signed an NDA with Intel and procured PDK samples of its advanced 18A-P process for evaluation purposes. Do note that Intel's 18A-P process is its first node to support Foveros Direct 3D hybrid bonding, which allows for stacking multiple chiplets through TSVs.
Now, however, a wild rumor suggests that Intel has succeeded in roping in another client for its 14A process: MediaTek. As always, the usual caveats with such unconfirmed reports apply here as well.
Even so, as we pointed out in a dedicated post recently, it won't be a breeze to incorporate Intel's 14A process in the fabrication of mobile chips such as MediaTek's Dimensity SoC. At the heart of this cautionary thesis lies the chipmaker's ill-fated decision to go all-in on Backside Power Delivery (BSPD) for its 18A and 14A nodes.
Even though BSPD does provide some performance boost as the chip is powered via the shorter, thicker metal paths on the backside, lowering voltage drop and allowing higher and more stable operating frequencies, while freeing up front-side routing tracks, which allows for increased transistor density or reduced congestion and wire length, the resulting performance boost from this approach is quite small, and the approach results in a worse Self-Heating Effect (SHE) that then requires additional cooling.
Of course, there is a possibility that Intel might be able to sidestep the SHE issue by employing innovative mitigating steps. At any rate, it would certainly be regarded as a veritable coup if Intel is confirmed to have roped in MediaTek's Dimensity chips as a client for its 14A process, which would then theoretically open up a pathway for luring in additional clients. However, until such a confirmation is at hand, we would suggest our readers take this rumor with a pinch of salt.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
