After discontinuing the production and sales of Galaxy Note 7, Samsung is working hard to ensure that its upcoming Galaxy S8 is the best Android phone out there when it comes out early next year. The Korean electronics giant announced that it had started mass production of chips using 10nm FinFET process technology. Samsung didn’t specify what device the chip is intended for, but said it will arrive early next year – a likely reference to the Galaxy S8.
It delivers 27% performance boost
Samsung claims to be the first company to produce chips using 10nm technology. The process involves an improved 3D transistor structure, along with improvements in process technology and design enablement. Samsung said it applied triple patterning for precision, which helps make chips smaller. Triple patterning is a method where circuit patterns are drawn on the wafer three times before cutting.
The Korean company said the 10nm process delivers 27% performance boost while consuming 40% less battery compared to the 14nm process. The 10nm FinFET process technology allows 30% more chips per wafer. Recent reports suggest that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S8 on February 26 ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Two models of Galaxy S8 to arrive early next year
Samsung said the current first-generation 10nm process will be refined further so that the products arriving next year will use the second-generation process. Now that the company has killed its flagship phablet Galaxy Note 7 due to battery explosions, its chip business is expected to contribute a huge share of its profits until the Galaxy S8 arrives. Samsung has no new flagship devices for the crucial holiday shopping season.
According to supply chain rumors, Samsung will release two models of Galaxy S8 – one with a 5.1-inch display and another with 5.5-inch – with support for virtual reality. The Galaxy S8 could also support Google’s Daydream VR platform. The US version of Samsung’s next-gen flagship smartphone is rumored to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 830, while the rest of the world will get Galaxy S8 with Exynos 8895 chipset.
Samsung working on Galaxy S8 firmware
Samsung has won the exclusive contract to manufacture Snapdragon 830 processor for Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 830 is rumored to be produced using 10nm FinFET process technology. A recently leaked report claims that Samsung has already started working on the Galaxy S8 firmware. The phone’s firmware is being developed for use in countries like the US, UK, Germany, Italy, France, China, and South Korea. More countries will be added to the list in the future.
After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, some experts argued that the Galaxy S8 could arrive sooner than Samsung traditionally refreshes the Galaxy S line. However, the Korean company can’t afford to rush things once again. The S8 is expected to be unveiled on February 26 in Barcelona. The firmware production also indicates that Samsung doesn’t want to rush things. It was around this time in 2015 when the Galaxy S7 firmware was in production.
