Qualcomm has unveiled two high-end mobile processors simultaneously, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, both built on a new Oryon CPU revision with a 5GHz peak clock speed. The chips share the same X105 5G modem, FastConnect 8800 wireless module, imaging tools like Intelligent Pixel Control and Elite Color Engine, and a new Hexagon Element Accelerator for on-device AI, though some AI capabilities differ subtly between the two versions.
Analyst Kurnal Insights calculated that at current AI-driven memory prices, the revenue value of DRAM per square millimeter of silicon now surpasses the nominal wafer processing cost of TSMC's advanced N2 and N3 logic nodes. Using an assumed DRAM price of $1.50 per gigabit, the newest 1b DRAM generation works out to about $0.654 per mm², compared to roughly $0.424 per mm² for an N3 wafer.
Prominent hardware leaker Kopite7Kimi says Nvidia's next-generation RTX 60 series, built on the Rubin architecture, won't launch until 2028 at the earliest, later than the previously rumored late-2027 window. Nvidia declined to comment, saying it doesn't discuss rumors or unannounced products.
A report from McKinsey and the SEMI Foundation, cited by CNBC, projects that US semiconductor fabs could face up to 157,000 unfilled jobs by 2030. Only 3% of American engineering graduates currently enter the chip industry, and 73% of chip companies say they struggle to fill engineering positions, even as firms like TSMC, Intel, Samsung, Micron, and SK hynix expand US manufacturing capacity.
Reuters reports that SK Hynix, which supplies Apple with RAM and flash memory, is discussing a deal with Intel to produce chips at Intel's planned Ohio facility, potentially leasing part of the site. This would mark the first time the South Korean company manufactures memory chips on US soil, though sources say details remain unclear and nothing has been finalized.
A new McKinsey and SEMI Foundation report projects the United States could be short by as many as 157,000 semiconductor workers by 2030, even as companies like Samsung, TSMC and Intel race to build new fabrication plants domestically. Samsung executive Jon Taylor told CNBC he's worried there simply aren't enough technically trained people entering the field to staff these facilities, including Samsung's $35 billion Taylor, Texas complex set to begin production this year.
MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 9600 Pro, built on TSMC's 2nm process, alongside the 3nm Dimensity 9600M for a broader range of premium phones. The Pro chip features a dedicated neural processing unit for on-device generative AI and boosts prompt processing speed by 51% over its predecessor. MediaTek did not name partner manufacturers or give launch dates for devices using the chips.
TSMC has disclosed technical specifications for its upcoming A14 manufacturing process, highlighting SRAM cells smaller than 0.017 square micrometers, the tightest density achieved yet. The company says the node will deliver 10-15% faster performance, 25-30% lower power consumption, and roughly 20% higher chip density compared to its current N2 technology, with mass production targeted for 2028.
MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 9600 Pro, its new flagship smartphone processor, as the first chip manufactured using TSMC's 2-nanometer N2P process, beating Qualcomm to the milestone. The chip promises significant gains including a 61 percent drop in multi-core power draw, a 17 percent single-core speed boost, and improved gaming and AI performance through a new dual-NPU architecture.
MediaTek announced its Dimensity 9600 Pro and 9600M mobile processors, both built to handle demanding gaming and on-device AI tasks. The Pro variant is MediaTek's first chip built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process, promising better efficiency and performance than last year's Dimensity 9500, while the 9600M offers similar AI and gaming capabilities as a more affordable option. Both chips can reportedly sustain console-quality gaming at 185 frames per second.
A new federal decision will cut Arizona's yearly Colorado River allocation by more than 25 percent, straining a state that depends on the river for over a third of its water supply. The cutback arrives as TSMC and Intel expand massive, water-intensive semiconductor fabs in the state to meet surging AI-driven chip demand. City officials and industry leaders are now racing to conserve water and secure alternative sources as costs rise for both manufacturers and residents.
ASML has partnered with Intel, Samsung, and TSMC to accelerate industry adoption of larger 6×12-inch photomasks, a change needed to fully exploit High-NA EUV lithography. The larger reticle size would let chipmakers print large dies in a single exposure rather than stitching together smaller patterned sections, addressing a field-size limitation created by High-NA's anamorphic optics.
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