MediaTek announces first chipset based on TSMC’s 3nm process with performance and efficiency improvements: details

MediaTek announced on Thursday that it has developed its first chipset based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s 3nm process. The company’s flagship Dimensity chipset, due to launch next year, with significant performance and efficiency improvements over current-generation chipsets. The company has not yet announced which brands it will work with to integrate the new processor. The competitors Apple and Qualcomm are said to be working on bringing chips with the latest chip technology onto the market.

The chipmaker announced in a press release that it had successfully built its first 3nm chipset based on TSMC’s advanced 3nm technology. The Taiwan-based company also announced that its 3nm MediaTek chips will be rolled out to smartphones, tablets, smart cars and other devices in the second half of 2024. According to previous reports, Qualcomm plans to launch a 3nm chipset this year, which could make an appearance at its annual Snapdragon Summit event.

The company also shared details on the performance and efficiency benefits of using TSMC’s 3nm process to manufacture its latest chipset. MediaTek has announced an 18 percent increase in performance and speed compared to TSMC’s N5 process, and a reduction in power consumption of up to 32 percent at the same speed. According to MediaTek, there is now a 60 percent increase in logic density compared to older chip technology.

As smartphone chips get smaller, the technology for their development becomes more complex, while production becomes more expensive. TSMC started producing advanced 3nm chips in December 2022. MediaTek’s upcoming chipset will be part of its high-end Dimensity mobile processors and is expected to power flagship smartphones due to launch in the second half of 2024.

However, it is unlikely that MediaTek’s new 3nm chipset will be the first to be used in a flagship phone – Apple was the first company to work with TSMC to bring its 3nm chipset to the next-gen, and it’s expected to power two of its upcoming smartphones — the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are said to feature last year’s flagship A16 Bionic chip.