55%
Plausible
TSMC has two iterations of its cutting-edge 2nm process, with Apple reported to have secured more than half of the initial capacity of the N2 variant for the upcoming A20 and A20 Pro. This would leave no more than bread crumbs for Qualcomm and MediaTek, who are scheduled to launch their first 2nm chipsets, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600, respectively, in the second half of next year.
To gain the upper hand and ensure adequate wafer shipments, both Android SoC manufacturers are reportedly utilizing TSMC’s improved 2nm ‘N2P’ node instead of N2. However, one rumor claims that these companies are not just making the transition to have peace of mind over sufficient supply, but also so the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 can reach their maximum CPU frequencies.
Despite the 2nm N2P technology only offering a 5 percent performance uplift over N2, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 need every advantage to overtake Apple’s A20 and A20 Pro
What is interesting about the latest rumor from Weibo tipster Fixed-focus digital cameras is that previously, he outright refuted the claims that Qualcomm and MediaTek will switch to TSMC’s 2nm N2P process from Digital Chat Station, and now, he embraces this information in the latest post. Bear in mind that between the N2 node and its improved iteration, there is only a 5 percent performance uplift, so why would Qualcomm and MediaTek go through the trouble of moving to an updated manufacturing process for the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9600?
The most obvious reason is that TSMC has stated that the design rules between N2P and N2 remain the same, making the transition highly seamless for the Taiwanese semiconductor giant’s customers. Additionally, a slight improvement can go a long way in giving chipsets an edge over the A20 and A20 Pro. By moving to 2nm N2P, both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 can achieve higher CPU frequencies, resulting in improved single-threaded and multi-threaded performance.
An improved lithography will help the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 reduce the efficiency gap between Apple’s A20 and A20 Pro
To remind you, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and A19 Pro share the same 3nm ‘N3P’ lithography, but here’s something you didn’t know. Qualcomm’s current flagship SoC needs to consume 61 percent more power in Geekbench 6 to beat Apple’s top-end silicon, adversely affecting its efficiency. The Dimensity 9500 displayed the worst ‘performance per watt’ in the same comparison. Sure, one can argue that the A19 Pro’s four efficiency cores were pivotal in this contribution, as Apple has redesigned the architecture to allow them to deliver up to 29 percent performance improvement at no additional power consumption compared to the A18 Pro.
Even though the 5 percent performance uplift between N2P and N2 won’t be much, it should reduce the efficiency gap for next year’s chipsets. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 can also obtain a bandwidth edge over the A20 and A20 Pro thanks to their support for LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage, but we cannot rely on paper specifications and advantages alone, so readers must treat this rumor with a pinch of salt and await more updates.
News Source: Fixed-focus digital cameras
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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