AMD was rumored to be planning a launch of ARM-based APUs, and now, they have allegedly surfaced on shipping manifests, validating the existence of the lineup.
AMD's Soundwave APUs Could Debut By Next Year, Competing In The Emerging 'Windows on ARM' Segment
Team Red has been dominating the APU segment with its past few generations, witnessing massive adoption from system integrators as well as manufacturers of compact devices such as mini-PCs and handhelds. However, it appears that the firm has plans to move a step ahead by introducing an ARM-based mobile SoC lineup, rumored to be called Soundwave. In shipping manifests shared by @Olrak29_, it is revealed that AMD is working on ARM APUs under the Soundwave label, and they are currently in the early stages, as far as what we can tell.
One of the more notable details from the shipping manifests is the existence of BGA 1074, which implies that the product being mentioned here is indeed an APU, rather than another configuration. Another interesting mention is the package size, which measures 32mm x 27mm, placing it in the mobile SoC territory and optimizing it for OEM integration. Another reason the manifests here indicate an entirely new lineup is the 0.8 mm pitch and the mention of AMD's new FF5 socket, which replaces the FF3 socket, commonly found in Valve's Steam Deck.
Rumors about AMD's Soundwave APUs emerged a few months ago, around the same time NVIDIA was reported to be developing an AI PC chip based on the ARM architecture. Team Red has already stacked well-rounded x86 APUs for the mobile segment, such as the Strix Halo lineup, hence competing in the ARM segment definitely makes sense here, especially since Windows on ARM (WoA) and OEM integration around ARM has become a lot more mature with the debut of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite SoCs.
Sound Wave won't be AMD's first venture with the ARM platform, as back in 2014, the firm introduced Project Skybridge, which was said to combine x86 and ARM in a common platform, but was later canceled due to economic and market adoption concerns. As for when we can expect to see the platform debut, there isn't an official release timeline yet, but it is rumored to debut next year.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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