TSMC and Samsung race to 10nm FinFET

Samsung’s decision to jump straight for 14nm paid off this generation, helping its latest Exynos 7420 SoC outperform and run cooler than the competition. However, the chip manufacturer may not have the same advantage next year, as TSMC is racing ahead with its own 10nm FinFET process.

TSMC already has its 16nm facilities online and is working on 16nm FinFET Plus (16FF+) for the second half of the year. The next stop is 10nm, and the company is expected to begin risk production on this process in the second half of 2016.

Risk production comes in the closing stage of process testing, where the manufacturer is looking to improve yields. It is around this stage that TSMC would begin talking to potential customers looking to use its facilities. Whoever proves to have a stable 10nm process first will likely win lucrative contracts from the likes of Apple and Qualcomm.

Samsung is aiming to have its 10nm production facilities online after the end of 2016 and will be relying on its existing 14nm FinFET technology until then.

Local sources expect TSMC to enter risk production in Q2 2016, with mass production arriving some time in the second half of 2016. TSMC had previously said that it was expecting production to begin by the end of 2016. The company spent US$1 billion (1.14 trillion won) to help catch up with Samsung. It’s going to be close, but the latest report suggests that TSMC may be marginally ahead at this stage.

In terms of the benefits to us consumers, 10nm is expected to allow for improved processor clock rates of up to 20 perfect. Power consumption could also drop by as much as 40 percent compared with the 14nm process.

With big contracts at stake and falling profits from its mobile business, the race to 10nm is hugely important for Samsung. TSMC will be looking to win back customers after falling behind this generation. The race is well and truly on.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 certified in South Korea, pricing details also leaked

The Galaxy Tab S2 has proven to be a rather elusive product with information (leaks) coming from every-which-way, save for Samsung itself. Detailed rumors have been abound for months now, dating as far back as February. The size and shape is all but cemented. The device posed for some glamour shots in China and at the FCC. The latest in the long-running pre-launch leak line-up reports the South Korean Radio Research Agency (RRA) – which reports to the Korean Communications Commission (think FCC) – has certified both size variants of the hardware.

Model SM-T715, assumed to be the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, and model SM-T815, believed to be the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 recently passed through the RRA and received the government’s stamp of approval. It is assumed these are LTE variants largely based upon the model numbers which corresponded to last year’s Tab S 8.4 (SM-T705) and Tab S 10.5 (SM-T805). SamMobile has weighed in on the news and declared that these two models will be sold unlocked due to the lack of a carrier letter following their product code.

A purported leak believed to depict the Galaxy Tab S2.

OnLeaks

The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 LTE was never released in South Korea, and the Tab S 10.5 LTE was released exclusively in the Titanium Bronze color variant. It would make sense for Samsung to offer the tablets directly to consumers instead of making them sign carrier contracts, however the Tab S 10.5 LTE was quite expensive and thus without carrier subsidies the potential market would seem questionable. Still, Samsung Korea has at least one other carrier unlocked product currently being sold. the Galaxy Grand Max.

Amid this news, yesterday a leak sprung that claimed to have the prices of this new pair of tablets. It alleges that the Wi-Fi Tab S2 8.0 will cost €399 ($441) and the Wi-Fi Tab S2 9.7 will retail for €499 ($550). No price was given for the LTE 8.0 model, however the Tab S2 9.4 LTE product was quoted at €589 ($650). These prices are more-or-less in line with those charged last year for the original Tab S pair and would make sense provided they pan out.

Based on everything we know so far, it is expected that the Tab S2 will feature a 4:3 aspect ratio not unlike the recent Galaxy Tab A products. They will feature a QHD Super AMOLED display, an Exynos 5433 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, microSD support, and Android Lollipop (the exact version of which is seemingly less clear). They are expected to come in at a svelte 5.4mm.

Peak-a-boo: The Tab S2 poses for the camera over in China.

Granted the specs aren’t wildly different from last year’s offerings. It is expected that Samsung is will make a case that they have significant differences worthy of an upgrade in the form of the new aspect ratio (better for browsing the internet), a new fingerprint sensor (the S6 variant), and presumably the S6-build of TouchWiz (more immersive). And of course, the two tablets are expected to be constructed of a unibody metal design which would indeed set them apart from anything Samsung has offered, the Tab 7.7 included (as it used a combination of metal and plastic).

Just how well the Tab S2 line will perform remains to be seen, though with Samsung now having filed for trademark protection of a Galaxy Tab S Pro, it clearly has high hopes.

IBM reports that a 7 nanometer chip has successfully been created

The technology of microchip manufacturing moves at a breakneck speed compared to almost everything else – just when the latest and greatest technology reaches our hands, the next best thing is already starting to come to life. This is exactly what has happened today with IBM announcing that a 7 nanometer chip has successfully been created (albeit in a test setting). If you’re not wowed by that statement alone, know that this has been a $3 billion effort by various companies including Global Foundries, Samsung and the SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering to further microchip technology. IBM says that these 7nm chips could be 50% better at power conservation and general performance which is obviously a big deal for the future of mobile devices.

Some consider 7nm to be the limit of silicon based chips so it’s going to be a period of exciting technological progress the next few years – you’ll probably start hearing about new materials being used in microchips including, for example, graphene and carbon nanotubes. Of course, while this is a huge deal in the chip manufacturing industry, we’re probably still several months, perhaps even years, away from seeing these chips in mobile devices we can hold and touch, but it really puts into perspective just how quickly technology moves while we’re going about our lives.

What do you think about the creation of a 7 nanometer chip? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: IBM via Mashable

The post IBM reports that a 7 nanometer chip has successfully been created appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

Samsung trademarks Galaxy Tab S Pro moniker

Samsung is getting ready to announce some amazing devices during the second half of 2015. Among them are the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus (or whatever name they choose for it), and now we are getting proof that there may also be a high-end tablet in the works.

Samsung trademarked the moniker “Samsung Galaxy Tab S Pro” on July 3rd. Sadly, we know nothing of this mysterious tablet yet, as it’s the very first time we hear of it. We are also not sure whether it will ever be announced or not; manufacturers often file for trademarks and end up not launching the product. It’s more of a precautionary chore, in some cases. What we do know is a good Samsung tablet is definitely due by now.

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We haven’t seen an update to the Galaxy Tab S series for more than a year. This means a successor is likely coming. We have been hearing rumors of a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 for some time now, including specs, benchmarks, materials and even a supposed June announcement. June came and went with no good news, though. Is it because Samsung is changing its strategy and waiting on this Galaxy Tab S Pro? Are they the same one?

That is also unknown, but the Tab S2 has some pretty good specs, including an Exynos 7420 chip, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage and 3580-5870 mAh batteries (depending on the size). I say that hardware is worthy of a “pro” label – right?

They may be completely different devices, though. We won’t find out until Samsung takes the stage, which we have no idea when they will, now that they have missed the June window.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumor roundup

The first half of 2015 has concluded and we have seen some amazing devices hit the market. Among the best are the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the HTC On M9 and the LG G4, but let’s not forget there is more to come. As it goes with every year, another herd of important smartphones are to reach store shelves during the later half of the year. Some of them just as important as the typical flagships we mentioned above, if not more.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is one of the most anticipated phones year after year. We could say this series gets most of the credit for the “phablet” movement, so it is definitely an important device to keep in mind. It’s also a handset that happens to be held upon the highest industry standards and Samsung rarely disappoints. Many of us actually prefer the Galaxy Note devices over the Galaxy S series, as they are released later in the year and tend to offer a better build and newer generation specs.

Samsung’s popular supersized smartphones are usually released between September and October. The day when we should finally see it in stage is coming. We are getting ready to take it all in and bring you the best content once the phone is announced and released, but the world keeps spinning until then and we know the rumor mill is not about to stop turning. The leaks have started trickling in, which means we are starting to get a gist of what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be all about. Are you ready? Let’s go through every single murmur that has hit our feed.

Design

While the Samsung Galaxy Note series has always differentiated itself from the Galaxy S smartphones in terms of aesthetics and build, this year it’s imperative that they follow a similar design language. Samsung’s numbers keep going down and most of the credit is given to the fact that their design and build quality has always been inferior to main competitors. Pure popularity is no longer working for Sammy!

With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung takes the team back to the drawing board and manages to do wonders. Their flagship phones are now made of quality materials like aluminum and glass, which makes the new handsets feel like jewels resting in your hand (at least compared to those crappy things they used to make). While previous generations of the Galaxy Note line-up have done pretty well with their plastic builds, Samsung really can’t back-pedal and downgrade when making the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Galaxy Note 5 image from Tencent

Thankfully, it seems Samsung is in the right path to making yet another amazingly-built smartphone. A recent image from Tencent showed us what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 could look like once finalized, and it pretty much looks like an over-sized Samsung Galaxy S6… yet it does have its differences.

This image looks quite gorgeous, but we must say this is probably not what the phone will look like, even if it will likely have its similarities. We would put more faith on the video @OnLeaks recently leaked, which showcases a CAD design (also of anonymous origins). Now this one literally looks exactly like an overgrown Samsung Galaxy S6, except it happens to have a spot for the S-Pen.

According to the digital model, the phone should measure 123.44 x 77.31 x 10.2 mm, suggesting a large 5.7-inch display. Really, at this point that size is only a little larger than usual. The contrast is not as polarizing as it used to be, and some devices (like the Nexus 6) easily beat it. The phone is also not as thin as the Galaxy S6, but it’s not supposed to be. Keep in mind the Galaxy Note 5 should represent power and functionality, not exactly glamour.

Italian tech site HDBlog then used these CAD design to create some renders of what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 could look like. Here are the results:

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge 2 and/or Galaxy S6 Edge Plus?

I think we can all agree those Edge devices are here to stay. It will be along time before we see a flagship Samsung device launch without its Edge counterpart, and I am willing to bet my money on the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t be coming to market alone. Hell, they may be launching more than one over-sized smartphone!

Rumors point towards a very interesting change in strategy. It’s said the upcoming Note device with an Edge display will come with a screen that curves around both sides, much like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. This is corroborated by some of the names the device may have, which include monikers like Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Note and the less exciting Samsung Galaxy Note Edge 2 (or 2nd gen). This is where it gets confusing, because they could all be the same, but there’s a slight chance the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is a completely different device than the upcoming Note Edge successor. We say this because the rumored specs are contradicting and all over the place.

To be honest, it is refreshing to see Samsung doing away with the actual functionality in the Edge display. The Galaxy Note Edge was innovative and very different, but its Edge features simply didn’t offer enough features and had very little support from developers. It’s better to leave the edged screens as a purely aesthetic factor.

The name isn’t the only change we might see, though. For once, it seems like the Edge version won’t be on par with its brother device (Galaxy Note 5) in terms of power and performance. More on this in the specs section.

Display

There’s different beliefs revolving around the Samsung Galaxy Note 5’s screen. It was previously believed Samsung was testing both 2K and 4K displays, going way above today’s QHD standards. More recent reports now state the phone could have a QHD Super AMOLED display (2560x1440p) measuring as much as 5.89 inches.

Specifications

The rumored specs are not very solid, but we know the new Note Edge successor could have a Snapdragon 808 processor, 16 GB of internal storage, that lovely S-Pen, a 16 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front-facing shooter. This is very interesting, because this hardware is awfully similar to the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus specs we have been hearing about, making is believe these two monikers could belong to a single device.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is said to come with either a 5.4, 5.4 or 5.7-inch display. It will be powered by Android 5.1.1 and sport a Snapdragon 808 processor, 32 GB of internal storage, a 16 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing shooter and a 3000 mAh battery (there were also rumors of a possible 4100 mAh battery).

One very important rumored feature the Galaxy Note 5 is said to have is the inclusion of a USB-C connector. This would make the Samsung Galaxy note 5 the first mainstream Android smartphone to come with the latest-generation USB, which is a pretty huge deal.

Also a huge deal is the rumor of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 getting rid of expandable storage support. And considering the new design elements, we will likely also see the removable battery go out the door. We know this will play a huge part in your decision to buy the next Note!

Camera

We don’t know much about the camera aside from the fact that it should be a 16 MP shooter with OIS (optical image stabilization). There’s also said to be an 8 MP (or 5 MP) camera in the front. This is not much to go by, but knowing Samsung they won’t skimp out on these cameras. They should be nearly as good as the camera the Samsung Galaxy S6 offers, at the very least.

Oh, and don’t expect the camera bump to go away. All leaked images show it.

Software

If there is one thing the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have too much of, it will be software features. This is no average phone. It is called the “Note”, after all, and it is optimized to do just that – take notes. You will find your usual S-Pen features, including Action Memo, Smart Select, Screen Write, handwriting recognition and more. Not to mention the many other features Samsung usually offers, including like S Voice and Multi Window.

Of course, we also expect the Samsung Galaxy Note to come with the latest version of Android, which is Android 5.1.1 (there will likely be a newer one when the Galaxy Note 5 is released).

Release date

There were previous rumors of a July release date, but Samsung was quick to debunk that. If previous Galaxy Note announcements serve as any confirmation, we should see the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (and whatever other devices it will be launched with) announced at IFA… so in September.

Wrapping up

It’s a bit hard to give you any concrete ideas, because rumors are all over the place right now. They often contradict themselves and many of them are likely incorrect. This conglomeration of confusing information makes us wonder if there really are more diverse versions of the Note/S6 Edge in the works. Maybe there will be a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, a Galaxy Note Edge 2 and a Galaxy S6 EdgePlus? Who knows! For now we can only tell you to keep taking it all in, and to keep your eyes and ears very open. We will do the same and let you know more about the Galaxy Note 5 as additional details emerge. We are sure they will.

In the meantime, go ahead and hit the comments to tell us what you would like to see one the Samsung Galaxy note 5. I am really hoping for a full metal and glass body. I am also quite excited about the inclusion of a USB-C port. How about you?!