Qualcomm is dropping ARM for its next top-of-the-range mobile processor.
βWith the 810 (Snapdragon 810) we made a conscious decision to use licensed cores to accommodate the accelerated shift to 64 bit,β says Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, βour next premium processor will use our own 64 bit custom CPU architecture as well as the most advanced process node.βThe new processor will be, says Mollenkopf βa device that returns to our internally developed CPU with integrated modemβ made on βthe latest nodeβ.
As Qualcomm expects to sample the new processor in late H2 2015, then βthe latest nodeβ could mean TSMCβs 16nm finfet process β an as yet unproven process.
For the 810, Qualcomm used an SOC design by ARM. For its next Snapdragon Qualcomm will utilise its ARM architecture licence to design its own SOC.
Qualcomm has lost the processor slot in Samsungβs next premium Galaxy phone the S6. βWe now expect that our Snapdragon 810 processor will not be in the upcoming design cycle of a large customerβs flagship device,β says Mollenkopf.
There have been reports of the 810 overheating. A recent research note from J.P. Morgan said: βFor the Snapdragon 810 we believe the issues are related to the implementation of new 64-bit ARM cores (A57) which is causing overheating when accelerating above 1.2-1.4 Ghz frequencies.β All that Mollenkopf will say about it is βthe device is working the way that we expected it work.β
For more detail: Qualcomm drops ARM for premium CPU