Samsung aims to overtake TSMC, Apple with 3 nm Exynos W1000 chip

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest memory chipmaker, plans to apply its latest 3-nanometer chip processing technology to the manufacture of its next Galaxy line of smartphones and smartwatches, taking on its archrivals Apple Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

The South Korean tech giant will start operations of its second-generation 3 nm production line in Korea in the second half of this year, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The first product to be manufactured using its latest chip process tech will be the tentatively named Exynos W1000 application processor (AP) chip for the Galaxy Watch7, scheduled for release in July, sources said

A mobile AP, often called the brain of a mobile device, is a system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed to support applications running in a mobile operating system environment.

Responsible for data processing in smartphones, the AP incorporates the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) and neural processing unit (NPU), making it a critical component influencing the performance of smartphones.

The Exynos W1000 to be made with the second-generation 3 nm process node, the most advanced technology available in the chip industry, is expected to improve computational performance and power efficiency by over 20%, sources said.

Once launched, the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 powered by 3 nm AP will be the most powerful device to rival the Apple Watch Series 9 powered by 5 nm AP, industry officials said.

In the smartwatch market, Apple is the global leader with a 45% market share as of the third quarter of 2023, followed by Samsung with a 20% share.

GALAXY UNPACKED PARIS IN JULY

Samsung, also one of the world’s leading smartphone and home appliance makers, plans to hold its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10 in Paris to maximize its product promotion ahead of the July 26 opening of the Summer Olympics in the French capital.

Samsung plans to showcase its latest wearable devices at the Galaxy Unpacked Paris, including the Galaxy Watch7 and the Galaxy Ring, its biometric health checker.

The Galaxy Ring unveiled at its previous Unpacked event can monitor the wearer’s heart and other health conditions for up to nine days with a single charge, according to Samsung.

Samsung also plans to unveil new foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Z Flip6 – at the Unpacked event in Paris.

The new foldable phones will be equipped with the latest artificial intelligence functions, including the Circle-to-Search and real-time translation services, sources said.

Among major improvements on its foldable line of smartphones this time will be the “wrinkle-free” screen, which addresses user complaints of weakening when folded and opened repeatedly over the years, they said.

GALAXY S25 TO ADOPT 3-NANOMETER TECH

Industry officials said Samsung’s new AI-powered smartphones, including foldable phones, will pose a threat to Apple, which has yet to unveil its AI phones and foldable smartphones.

Samsung is expected to use a 3 nm Exynos W1000 AP chip for its next-generation Galaxy S25 premium smartphone to be unveiled early next year.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 launched last year used Exynos W930 made with a 5 nm process technology.

The Galaxy S24, unveiled earlier this year, is “the world’s first AI phone” packed with a variety of on-device AI functions, said TM Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile eXperience (MX) division.

Roh said mobile devices will become the primary access point for AI and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone series has a leading role to play in broadening the horizon for new possibilities in consumer experiences.

The Galaxy S24 is replete with AI enhancements, from Samsung and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, including Live Translate, a built-in live translation of calls, and a new search tool, Circle to Search, which lets users circle an image on the phone to get related information.

Samsung pins high hopes on the AI-powered smartphone series as it lost the crown as the world’s biggest smartphone maker to Apple and its iPhone last year.

The mobile chief said Samsung aims to have at least 100 million units of its flagship Galaxy line of smartphones equipped with a variety of AI features by the end of this year.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s AI features are powered by Qualcomm’s ultra-intelligent Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor chipset. The smartphone’s non-Ultra models are fitted with Samsung’s Exynos 2400 application processor.

Write to Jeong-Soo Hwang at hjs@hankyung.com


In-Soo Nam edited this article.