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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(Photo credit: MediaTek)

On August 3rd, India introduced a licensing regime for the import of laptops and tablets. However, it was swiftly postponed after facing criticism from the industry and the United States. The regime would have enabled the government to delay or reject import requests and required permits for each shipment.

In a recent development, the Indian government has decided to permit the unrestricted import of laptops and tablets and has initiated a new “authorization” system to monitor the shipment volumes of these devices without disrupting market supply.

Officials have announced that the new “Import Management System” will go into effect starting from November 1st, requiring companies to register their import quantities and values. This data will be used for monitoring purposes, although the government will not deny any import requests.

India’s Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal announced during a press conference on Friday that there will be no restrictions placed on the import of laptops. He emphasized that the government’s intention is to closely monitor laptop importers rather than imposing restrictions.

This decision has come as a relief to global laptop manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo, who had been apprehensive since the announcement of the regime in August.

From April to August, India’s imports of electronic products and software, including laptops, tablets, and personal computers, amounted to $33.6 billion, marking an almost 8% growth compared to the previous year.

S. Krishnan, a senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, stated that the objective is to “ensure that we have all the data and information we need to have a fully credible digital system.”

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has expressed deep appreciation for the government’s recent decision to maintain unrestricted imports of laptops and tablets.

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• [News] Google Follows in Apple and Samsung’s Footsteps, Set to Manufacture Pixel 8 Series Phones in India

(Photo credit: Pixabay)