Qualcomm has announced that its upcoming mobile platform, presumably the Snapdragon 855, will feature a SoC that is built using the more efficient 7nm process. The company’s current flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845 is based on a 10nm manufacturing process. Details on this upcoming chipset are scarce and more info on it is expected in Q4 this year, however, it can be paired with the chip manufacturer’s X50 5G modem, which as the name suggests, is a 5G-capable mobile platform for smartphones and other mobile devices. Additionally, Qualcomm says that it has commenced sampling of the mobile platform to multiple OEMs.
“We are very pleased to be working with OEMs, operators, infrastructure vendors, and standards bodies across the world, and are on track to help launch the first 5G mobile hotspots by the end of 2018, and smartphones using our next-generation mobile platform in the first half of 2019,” said Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm Incorporated. “Qualcomm Technologies’ continued leadership in research and engineering allows for a future of increased innovation across multiple sectors as 5G connectivity becomes ubiquitous.” Even though sampling has begun, we expect devices with the new SoC to come by early 2019. Alongside Qualcomm, Apple is also rumoured to use the 7nm process for its upcoming A12 SoC. Huawei has already confirmed that it has developed its next flagship SoC, the Kirin 980, which is based on a 7nm design. The SoC is slated to power the Huawei Mate 20 series of smartphones, which are expected to launch in October.
Ahead of any official revelation of the upcoming Qualcomm chipset, Lenovo VP Chang Cheng has claimed that the world’s first 5G phone will be from Lenovo and it will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. As mentioned earlier, there is not much information about the chip but an earlier report suggested that instead of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Samsung will be manufacturing the new SoC on the 7nm process. Samsung’s facilities are reportedly six months ahead of schedule, and are also likely to be manufacturing Qualcomm’s 5G modems using their EUV fabrication process.
Qualcomm's future heavily rests on the successful implementation of 5G in the US. The company has already rejected Broadcom's bid for an acquisition and US President Donald Trump officially blocked Singapore-based Broadcom's bid to acquire Qualcomm. This apparently happened because American agencies believe that Broadcom may decrease investment in Qualcomm R&D to increase profitability. This, in turn, will give China the opportunity to play a bigger role in the “5G standard-setting process”.