Oppo's first 6nm process based custom chipset is expected to hit mass production in 2023.
Oppo is also designing a 4nm SoC with integrated silicon.
Details regarding the chipset are scarce as of now.
Oppo forayed into the semiconductor space with its MariSilicon X NPU which was first showcased at Inno Day Event 2022 and later debuted with the flagship Find X5 Pro. Back then, the brand made it clear that it would continue to persevere with its semiconductor ambitions and now a new report sheds some light on the roadmap for Oppo's first smartphone chipset.
The Roadmap
According to a report by the Chinese website IT Home, Oppo’s IC design subsidiary is currently working on an Application Processor that will be produced on TSMC’s 6 nm process and will allegedly enter mass production in 2023. The report isn’t very clear but it looks like Oppo will next focus is designing efforts toward a 4nm process-based chipset with an integrated modem.
The exact details regarding the SoC are still unknown. The report doesn’t mention whether the initial offerings will cater to premium flagships or affordable/ mid-range phones. Either way, the phones employing Oppo’s custom SoC should be at least two to three years away.
Ecosystem Benefits
OEMs like Apple, Huawei and Samsung have been making their own chips for years and Google joined the club with its own Tensor SoC that was largely based on Samsung’s Exynos designs. The incentive in custom chip development is that they help brands closely integrate hardware and software. This is of significant advantage if you wish to allure customers into a larger ecosystem of multiple devices and accessories that can closely interact with one another and share the same software services.
We can further presume that other BBK brands like Oppo, OnePlus and Realme will benefit from Oppo's development efforts. Major brands showing an inclination to develop their own chip should also mark a dent in the business of chipset manufacturers like Qualcomm and Mediatek, but chip development is an uphill task and the incumbent behemoths will maintain multiple generations lead. Xiaomi, for instance, launched its first chipset Surge 1 in 2017 but is yet to launch a successor.
The good thing is that Oppo focused its initial efforts on a part of the whole. The MariSilicon X imaging chip that debuted with the Oppo Find X5 (review) was flagship worthy and it will be interesting to note how Oppo’s future endeavours pan out.
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Deepak Singh
Deepak is Editor at Digit. He is passionate about technology and has been keeping an eye on emerging technology trends for nearly a decade. When he is not working, he likes to read and to spend quality time with his family. View Full Profile
