Semiconductor TSMC Has Enabled Smartphone SoCs To Approach 5GHz Frequencies Thanks To Advanced Lithography; Huawei The Biggest Loser In All Of This Omar Sohail • at EDT Add on Google Later this year, we shall bear witness to these advanced SoCs Companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek have benefitted greatly from extending their partnership with TSMC, as not only have they developed the most cutting-edge in smartphone chipset technology, but the level of performance is uncanny and would likely not be possible without the Taiwanese semiconductor behemoth providing its advanced nodes. Later this year, we shall bear witness to SoCs reaching clock speeds of 5.00GHz, making it the first time in history, with Huawei sadly unable to keep up with its rivals as it doesn’t have access to the foundry giant’s technology. Huawei didn’t jump into EUV lithography fast enough, as its Kirin chipsets have yet to break the 3.00GHz barrier, thanks to relying on SMIC’s 7nm process A chart shared by Kurnal shows how Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek have managed to gradually increase the clock speeds of their performance cores to the point where the aforementioned companies can target that 5.00GHz frequency. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 can already operate as a default clock speed of 4.61GHz, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro rumored to reach 5.00GHz. Related Story TSMC’s Chipmaking Edge Is So Strong That Competitors Are Fighting to Work with Its Supply Chain Partners, Viewing Them as a Winning BetMediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro is also said to achieve a similar feat, with Apple’s A19 Pro performance cores reaching 4.26GHz speeds. This increase enables newer SoCs to register major improvements in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, with Huawei being the only firm to miss out on the spoils. However, we shouldn’t be quick to point fingers at the former smartphone giant, as its Kirin SoC family has been unlucky to achieve similar performance to its rivals due to the U.S. trade sanctions, which ban any business to be conducted with TSMC. Then again, with the sanctions enforced from 2019, Huawei should have had the foresight to realize that China’s access to bleeding-edge lithography would eventually be severed, forcing it to pursue self-reliance much earlier. Instead, the company has had little luck in catching up to its competitors since its foundry partner, SMIC, is limited to the 7nm process because it doesn’t have the newer EUV machinery and manufactures wafers on the older-generation DUV equipment. China has been reported to have built its own EUV equipment prototype, but there’s no confirmation on when mass production will begin. The Kirin 9030, which is Huawei’s newest SoC, hasn’t crossed the 3.00GHz clock speed barrier, showing how a foundry partner can make a ‘night and day’ difference in technological progression. Of course, Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek targeting 5.00GHz for their chipsets can’t escape the brutal reality of thermodynamics, as silicon reaching higher speeds also suffer from severe temperature spikes and thermal throttling. Still, with advanced cooling solutions such as beefier vapor chambers, miniature active fans, and Heat Pass Block, newer chipsets can achieve better thermals while maintaining performance during sustained workloads. News Source: Kurnal About the : Omar Sohail is a and analyst for '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. Follow on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds. Further Reading Apple Has Found A Clever Way To Shield Itself From The DRAM Crisis Clock Cycle: Apple’s A19 Pro Chip Beats Dimensity 9500 By 13%, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 By 10%, And Exynos 2600 By 6% Dimensity 9600 Pro Specifications Leak Point Towards A Major Flagship Chipset Release To Challenge Both Apple & Qualcomm This Year Apple’s M5 Ultra Architecture Details Are Unknown, But Some Pragmatic Thinking Concludes The UltraFusion Process Will Return Read all on TSMC Has Enabled Smartphone SoCs To Approach 5GHz Frequencies Thanks To Advanced Lithography; Huawei The Biggest Loser In All Of This
