According to a report by the Korean media outlet The Chosun Daily on June 16th, Samsung’s “Galaxy Tab S10” series tablets will be equipped with MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+ application processor (AP) from Taiwan, marking the first instance of MediaTek’s AP being adopted by Samsung’s flagship tablet.

The report highlights that MediaTek’s APs have primarily been used in Samsung’s mid-to-low-end smartphones. The decision to use MediaTek’s AP in the Galaxy Tab S10 series, instead of Qualcomm’s or Samsung’s own APs, is a significant shift for Samsung.

The sources cited in the report believe that Samsung’s move is a butterfly effect caused by TSMC’s price hikes. TSMC’s price increases have potentially led to a rise in the cost of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, which are manufactured by TSMC. After price negotiations, Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business (MX) decided to equip the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips only in the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra series, while using MediaTek’s Dimensity chips in the Plus and base models.

The same report further indicates that from Samsung’s perspective, choosing Dimensity to reduce costs and diversify the supply chain is a sensible decision. However, for Samsung’s foundry division which manufactures Exynos, this development is somehow unwelcome. While Exynos used to have price advantages over Snapdragon in supplying Samsung’s flagship products, the use of Dimensity jeopardizes Exynos’ competitive edge in its bargaining power for future flagship product pricing negotiations.

Samsung Electronics’ upcoming AP, the “Exynos 2500,” set for release next year, will also face similar challenges. With TSMC recently rumored to increase price for its 3nm process, costs for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, slated for release in October, are expected to sharply increase. Industry source cited by the report further suggests the cost of this chip could rise from over USD 200 in the previous generation to more than USD 250.

TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei recently stated that, almost all companies interested in AI-related demand are willing to work with TSMC. From the yield rates obtained by customers, TSMC offers the best cost-effectiveness solutions, hence there is room for price increases. Per a report from Liberty Times, the wafer order prices for TSMC in 2025 are expected to be finalized in September and October this year.

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• [News] Samsung Reportedly to Challenge Apple/TSMC with 3nm Exynos W1000
• [News] MediaTek Announces 4nm Dimensity 7300 Series Chips, Supporting Foldable Devices

(Photo credit: MediaTek)

The continuous increase in silicon content driven by AI servers, high-performance computing (HPC) applications, and the AI integration of high-end smartphones has led to a surge in demand for semiconductors. According to a report from the Economic Daily News, major companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and AMD are reportedly securing substantial production capacity for TSMC’s 3nm process family. This has resulted in a queue of clients stretching all the way to 2026.

TSMC has a consistent policy of not commenting on individual client information. Regarding whether the high demand for production capacity will lead to price increases to reflect its value, TSMC emphasizes that its pricing strategy is always strategically oriented rather than opportunistically driven. TSMC will continue to work closely with clients to provide value.

As per sources cited by the same report, TSMC is not a company that raises prices arbitrarily. Reflecting value does not equate directly to price increases, even though the company holds a leading edge in advanced process technology. There are various ways for TSMC to demonstrate value to its customers.

The members of TSMC’s 3nm family include N3, N3E, N3P, as well as N3X and N3A. As the existing N3 technology continues to be upgraded, N3E, which began mass production in the fourth quarter of last year, targets applications such as AI accelerators, high-end smartphones, and data centers. N3P is scheduled for mass production in the second half of this year and is expected to become mainstream for applications in mobile devices, consumer products, base stations, and networking through 2026. N3X and N3A are customized for high-performance computing and automotive clients.

Source: TSMC

Industry sources cited by Economic Daily News in the report believe that with clients rushing to book production capacity, TSMC’s 3nm family will continue to experience tight supply over the next two years. This does not yet include Intel’s outsourcing demand for CPUs.

Due to the fact that TSMC’s 3nm family production capacity has already been fully allocated by customers for this year and next, the company’s plan to triple the relevant capacity this year compared to last year is still insufficient. To ensure an uninterrupted supply for the next two years, TSMC has implemented several measures to expand its production capacity.

Previously, during an earnings call, the company announced that due to robust demand, its strategy includes converting some 5nm equipment to support 3nm production. Industry sources cited by the report also reveal that TSMC’s total 3nm family capacity is continuously increasing, with monthly production capacity expected to reach between 120,000 and 180,000 wafers.

Meanwhile, the sources cited by the Economic Daily News indicate that the main sources of orders for TSMC’s 3nm family include major clients such as Apple, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and AMD. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 16 series as early as September, which is anticipated to be the first iPhone with AI capabilities, potentially sparking a new wave of upgrades among Apple fans.

Source: TSMC

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Supports C.C. Wei’s Theory and Backs for TSMC to Increase Price
• [News] TSMC Says Tripling 3nm Capacity This Year Still Not Enough

(Photo credit: TSMC)

Since the release of the Huawei Mate 60 series smartphones, the Huawei Kirin chipset has been making a comeback with various iterations, including the Kirin 9000s and Kirin 9000E featured in the Mate 60 series. The latest update has revealed the confirmation of a new Kirin chipset named Kirin 9000W, making its debut in the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch.

According to the WeChat account ic211ic, the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch device was already available in the Chinese market last year, equipped with the Kirin 9000S chipset. However, the newly discovered Kirin 9000W is featured in the international version of the MatePad Pro 13.2” which has been launched in markets such as Malaysia, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

The official website displays that the MatePad Pro 13.2-inch is equipped with the Kirin 9000W processor.

In other words, , the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch employs different processors in different countries, indicating that Huawei’s Kirin chipset family has added new members.

Currently, there are six different versions of the Kirin 9000 chipset available in the market, namely Kirin 9000, Kirin 9000E, Kirin 9000L, Kirin 9000S, Kirin 9000SL, and Kirin 9000W.

However, Huawei’s official websites in the mentioned markets only mention the “Kirin 9000W” without providing further details. Apart from mentioning the model, they only introduce it as an octa-core CPU. Based solely on this information, it’s challenging to determine the performance difference between Kirin 9000W and Kirin 9000S.

As per TechNews citing from sources, it has been suggested that the Kirin 9000W is likely similar to the Kirin 9000S but may offer slightly improved performance. Additionally, due to the larger size of the MatePad Pro, better temperature control might be necessary.

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• [News] Kirin 9010 Shortage Rumors: Huawei P70 May Use Kirin 9000S in Some Models

(Photo credit: Huawei)

Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro, featuring an OLED screen for the first time, is scheduled to be released in March or April. However, recent market reports suggest a potential 30% reduction in the estimated order volume, indicating Apple’s cautious outlook on the new product. It’s anticipated that suppliers in the supply chain such as LG Display (LGD), TSMC, Foxconn, and Novatek will also be affected.

Aju Korea Daily, citing industry sources, reported that Apple has reduced the OLED screen orders for its new iPad Pro. The initial order of 10 million units has been adjusted to a range of 7 million to 8 million units. LGD is expected to be the most impacted, with the supply scale decreasing from 6 million units to a minimum of 3 million units, while Samsung maintains a supply of 4 million units.

Industry speculation suggests that the reduction in the initial order may be due to a cautious outlook on the demand in the early stages of the product launch. The pricing of the new iPad Pro has not been determined, but it is likely to be higher than the current iPad with an LCD screen.

Historically, all iPad models from Apple have utilized LCD panels. However, this year’s release of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models marks the first time Apple is incorporating OLED panels.

On another note, in addition to applying OLED screens to the iPad Pro this year, Apple reportedly plans to use them in future laptop products such as the MacBook. Therefore, the performance of the OLED iPad in terms of sales will serve as a significant market indicator for Apple’s future ventures into OLED technology.

Additionally, the adoption of OLED screens will result in an increase in the price of the iPad Pro. The loyalty of iPad consumers has traditionally been lower than that of iPhone users, posing a challenge for Apple in achieving strong performance this year.

The estimated order volume reduction is expected to have an impact on the iPad Pro supply chain, affecting key manufacturers such as TSMC, Foxconn, and Novatek.

According to sources cited by the Economic Daily News, TSMC is the exclusive supplier of Apple’s chips, while Foxconn is the main assembly plant for the iPad Pro. Novatek is a supplier of OLED screen driver ICs for the Korean market. However, the mentioned companies have refrained from commenting on specific clients and products.

TSMC has been the primary manufacturer of main chips for various Apple devices. Last year, there were reports in the market that Apple secured TSMC’s 3-nanometer production capacity for at least a year.

Despite current market uncertainties, TSMC estimates that the semiconductor market will see a growth of over 10% this year, with the foundry industry expected to grow by 20%. TSMC’s financial performance is projected to outpace industry standards, demonstrating quarterly growth.

Novatek previously indicated that there might be competition in the OLED driver IC sector this year. Nevertheless, the company plans to continue its strategic focus on advanced products such as applications for foldable devices, OLED touch, and integrated touch and display driver ICs (TDDI).

As for Foxconn, the company is gradually entering the traditional off-season. Seasonal performance is expected to be similar to the past three years. In the first quarter of 2023, higher shipment volume resulting from the resumption of normal production in Chinese factories post-pandemic is anticipated to lead to a year-on-year decline in performance for the first quarter of this year.

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• [News] Leak Reveals LGD as the Largest Supplier of Apple’s OLED iPad Pro Screen
• [News] TSMC Reportedly Attracts Influx of 3nm Customers, Predicts Production Capacity Utilization to Surge to 80% by Year-End

(Photo credit: Apple)

Recent revelations from South Korean source yeux1122 indicate that LG Display (LGD) holds a higher share than Samsung Display in the supply of OLED screens for Apple’s new iPad Pro.

The leak suggests that LGD is planning to commence mass production of OLED screens for Apple’s iPad Pro in February 2024, with an estimated annual output ranging from 6.2 to 6.5 million screens.

Currently, Apple’s iPad Pro series products utilize LCD and mini-LED display screens. However, it is anticipated that in 2024, Apple will introduce an OLED version of the iPad Pro.

The leak also indicates that LGD has taken the lead by deploying a two-stack tandem structure and excelling in the supply of organic material devices compared to the Samsung camp.

On the other hand, Samsung faced several yield-related challenges during the supply process, but most of these issues have now been officially resolved. The initial estimate suggests that Samsung will supply around 4 million screens to Apple.

In fact, according to other industry sources, Apple already began discussions with two major suppliers, Samsung and LGD, regarding the OLED version supply for the iPad approximately 2-3 years ago, and set LGD’s supply volume to be larger than that of Samsung.

For the upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, the screen sizes are expected to slightly increase to 11 inches and 13 inches, with Wi-Fi and 5G models having the codenames J717, J718, J720, and J721.

Another rumor has previously revealed that the next iPad Pro, which is set to come out in 2024 as per the report, may support MagSafe wireless charging. The prototype has a glass Apple logo on the back, while the rest of the back remains aluminum. This design allows power to be transmitted through the glass logo without affecting the durability of the iPad.

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• [News] Can Mini LED Overcome Challenges Post-Apple’s Shift? Explore Its Prospects Beyond Apple’s Favor
• OLED Auto Panel Market Share Set to Hit 10% by 2026

(Photo credit: Apple)