MediaTek and Qualcomm’s new wave of 5G flagship smartphone chip competition will begin in the fourth quarter. MediaTek is launching the “Dimensity 9400” to directly compete with Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.” According to a report from Economic Daily News, both major manufacturers are using TSMC’s 3nm process to produce their new chips, which have recently entered the production phase.

Alongside this, NVIDIA, AMD, and Apple are also actively seeking TSMC’s 3nm capacity, resulting in TSMC securing another order and seeing a surge in its advanced process business.

It is understood that the queue for TSMC’s 3nm process capacity has extended all the way to 2026. To ensure the smooth launch of the Dimensity 9400, MediaTek has already started production at TSMC to secure sufficient supply capacity. The 3nm process is currently the most advanced node technology. Previously, TSMC mentioned that its 3nm process capacity will triple this year, but it still remains in short supply.

At the beginning of this year, MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai announced that the Dimensity 9400 would be unveiled in the fourth quarter. He stated that its performance would far exceed that of the current flagship chip, the Dimensity 9300, and that it would represent another significant peak in their technology.

MediaTek’s current flagship Dimensity 9300/9300+ chips are built using TSMC’s 4nm process. Reportedly, it is expected that with the support of TSMC’s 3nm process, the performance of the Dimensity 9400 will be further enhanced, making it a powerful tool for MediaTek to capture the market.

Although Qualcomm has not yet announced the launch schedule and details of its next-generation flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the same report believed that this chip will also be produced using TSMC’s 3nm process and will be launched in the fourth quarter, with upgraded performance.

Ming-Chi Kuo, renowned Apple analyst, previously reported that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be produced using TSMC’s N3E process, and its price may be 25% to 30% higher than the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with each chip priced at $220 to $240.

In the second half of the year, numerous AI products will be launched in the consumer market. Per industry sources cited in an earlier report from Commercial Times, besides Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400,  Apple’s A18 and M4 series are also said to be built using TSMC’s N3 family. Moreover, Google’s Tensor G5 may compete in the market as well.

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• [News] IC Design Companies Adopting TSMC’s 3nm Process Trigger Cost-driven Price Hikes
• [News] Major Clients Reportedly Fully Allocate TSMC’s Production Capacity Until 2026, 3nm Process in High Demand
  

(Photo credit: Qualcomm)

MediaTek and Xiaomi Group have deepened their collaboration. On July 2, Xiaomi China’s Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of the Redmi brand, Wang Teng, announced on Weibo that the joint laboratory between Xiaomi and MediaTek has officially opened at Xiaomi’s Shenzhen R&D Center, with the new “Redmi K70 Supreme Edition” being the first product from the joint lab.

According to a report by etnet, the joint laboratory between Xiaomi and MediaTek covers five core capabilities, focusing on three major technological parts: performance, communication, and AI.

MediaTek, a global leader in smartphone chip shipment, maintains close cooperation with its brand clients.

Wang noted that following the Post-Performance Era Launch event last year, the cooperation between Xiaomi and MediaTek has reached another notch with a  goal of creating the strongest product performance experience and realizing the pre-research and implementation of the latest technologies.

A report from ithome revealed that Xiaomi and MediaTek have already entered into several collaborative agreements in the past, in which Xiaomi was often the first to launch new Dimensity processors. The two companies have also co-developed several Ultra versions of Dimensity processors.

Wang described the K70 Supreme Edition as the “performance demon” and the most sincere value-for-money product, offering a more comprehensive flagship experience. It is a gold standard for Dimensity performance jointly created by Redmi and MediaTek, aiming for three number ones: highest performance scores, best game frame rate/energy efficiency, and longest concurrent operation of super frame rate and super resolution.

Wang also mentioned that especially for the third goal, MediaTek, based on Dimensity 9300+ chip, has equipped the K70 Supreme Edition with the new-generation gaming discrete GPU and its self-developed dual-chip scheduling technology. “Not only to achieve super frame rate and super resolution in original/iron mode but also to realize the longest concurrent operation time, allowing users to enjoy games for longer periods.”

MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ is part of the Dimensity 9300 series of chips, launched in May this year. It is built using TSMC’s 4nm process and features an eight-core CPU with four Cortex-X4 super cores, reaching a maximum frequency of 3.4GHz, surpassing the level of Dimensity 9300.

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• [News] China’s Xiaomi and Unisoc Claim Domestic 4nm Mobile Processors Coming Soon
  

(Photo credit: MediaTek)

According to a report from South Korean media outlet The Financial News, MediaTek, Taiwan’s largest smartphone IC designer, has the opportunity to enter Samsung’s Galaxy S25 supply chain as one of the main chip suppliers for the next generation flagship smartphone. Samsung’s S series smartphones have traditionally adopted a “dual-track” strategy, using both in-house Exynos chips and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon. MediaTek, on the other hand, has declined to comment on this matter.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 is said to be equipped with MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+ application processor, marking the first instance of MediaTek’s AP being adopted by Samsung’s flagship tablet, according to a report by the Korean media outlet The Chosun Daily.

The latest report by the Financial News further 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 report indicates that Samsung’s Galaxy S25 smartphones will not only use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chips and Samsung’s own Exynos 2500 chips but may also use MediaTek’s Dimensity chips in some regions. It is speculated that the chip in discussion is the yet-to-be-announced Dimensity 9400. If true, the S25 could be available in versions with Exynos 2500, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, and Dimensity 9400 chips.

The report cites sources, suggesting that this rumor is not entirely without merit, as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip is expected to be 30% more expensive than its predecessor. Currently, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is rumored to cost around $190-200 per unit, while the 8 Gen 4 could be priced at $260. Samsung’s consideration of incorporating MediaTek chips, or at least using this possibility as leverage in price negotiations with Qualcomm, is plausible.

Qualcomm has been releasing new flagship mobile chips annually and designing custom versions for Samsung’s high-end phones. For instance, the current Samsung S24 series, including the S24 Ultra and some regional versions of the S24 Plus and S24, use Qualcomm’s tailored Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, designed specifically for Galaxy phones and featuring advanced AI capabilities.

It is worth noting that there is a close collaborative relationship between Samsung and Qualcomm. Some of Qualcomm’s chip manufacturing orders are handled by Samsung’s foundry division, while some of Samsung’s mobile chips use Qualcomm’s main processors. If MediaTek succeeds in integrating its Dimensity 9400 into Samsung’s smartphone supply chain, it would be a significant milestone for MediaTek.

The report from The Chosun Daily also highlighted that from Samsung’s perspective, choosing Dimensity to reduce costs and diversify the supply chain is a sensible decision.

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• [News] Samsung Adopts Dimensity 9300+ Instead of Snapdragon, the First Time for Its Flagship Tablet to Feature MediaTek AP
• [News] MediaTek Announces 4nm Dimensity 7300 Series Chips, Supporting Foldable Devices

(Photo credit: MediaTek)

As China keeps reducing its reliance on the global semiconductor supply chain with strong support from the authority, two major smartphone manufacturers reportedly claim to have already taped out their own 4nm mobile processors. According to the reports by Liberty Times and Commercial Times, Xiaomi and Unisoc, by using foreign IP cores from ARM and IMG, have successfully taped out domestic 4nm chips.

According to the latest data from TrendForce, Xiaomi (including Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco) has moved past last year’s high inventory issues, achieving a total production of 41.1 million units in the first quarter and ranking third globally in market share, only after Samsung and Apple. Oppo, Transsion and Vivo are the other three Chinese smartphone brands having made it to the top six regarding global shipments.

Shanghai-based fabless chip firm Unisoc, on the other hand, is specialized in areas including 2G/3G/4G/5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV FM, satellite communications and other related technologies, according to its website.

Citing comments from Chinese tech blogger “Oneline Technology,” the reports point out that Xiaomi’s self-developed chip has made a significant leap forward, while the performance of its 4nm chip is similar to that of Huawei’s Kirin 9000s, and is expected to be seen this year. Huawei’s Kirin 9000s is reportedly manufactured by SMIC’s 7nm.

Citing another Chinese blogger, “Fixed Focus Digital,” the reports mention that Unisoc’s 4nm chip has already taped out, achieving performance levels comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888.

Regarding the timeline for Chinese domestically produced smartphone SoCs to reach 4nm, the reports, citing industry insiders, state that it is more likely to happen in 2026. For now, MediaTek and Qualcomm still dominate Chinese’s smartphone chip market.

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• Q1 Smartphone Production Increases Due to Low Base Last Year, Expected to Decline 5–10% in Q2, Says TrendForce

(Photo credit: Unisoc)

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)