50%
Plausible
To obtain an edge over Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek have been reported on multiple occasions to gravitate to TSMC’s slightly improved 2nm ‘N2P’ process, which promises a 5 percent performance and efficiency improvement over N2 while utilizing the same surface area. On paper, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Dimensity 9600 can potentially surpass the A20 and A20 Pro this year, making it quite the feat for both Qualcomm and MediaTek, but a tipster claims that architectural improvements will also determine whether a victory materializes or not.
Apple has always had an upper hand in chipset design, forcing Qualcomm and MediaTek to possibly sacrifice power draw and cost efficiency for performance gains
Even though TSMC’s ‘N2P’ node is more expensive than N2, Qualcomm and MediaTek leveraging this technology for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Dimensity 9600 Pro will allow both SoCs to target a higher clock speed, resulting in increased single-core and multi-core scores. From the looks of it, both companies appear to focus on raw performance gains to achieve an advantage over Apple, but this feat may only be obtained at the cost of increased power consumption.
However, Weibo’s Smart Chip Insider says that while the N2P node has slightly better attributes than N2, Qualcomm and MediaTek beating Apple will also depend on their architectural improvements, suggesting that just transitioning to the improved lithography may not be enough. After all, the Cupertino firm releases one of the best silicon designs for portable devices, with a prime example being the A19 Pro, whose efficiency cores can deliver up to a 29 percent performance improvement with no increase in power draw.
Also, Qualcomm and MediaTek may also focus on other areas like architectural improvements and expanded memory cache because cutting-edge manufacturing processes are no longer influencing customer interest. Just shifting to the 2nm ‘N2P’ technology will incur massive costs for Qualcomm and MediaTek, which could risk adoption from its smartphone partners. In short, implementing the aforementioned upgrades will be mandatory if these chipset makers are targeting higher sales volumes.
Apple likely believes it can save on wafer costs by sticking with TSMC’s N2 technology while focusing heavily on chipset design to gain a competitive edge over rivals. Time and time again, the company has proven this strategy.
News Source: Smart Chip Insider
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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