ARM has announced its next generation of CPU and GPU cores, which will power the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 set to launch later this month. The company has introduced several changes this generation, starting with the naming itself.

ARM has retired its familiar Cortex-X and Cortex-A branding in favor of the new C1 family. At the top sits the C1-Ultra, followed by the C1-Premium (a smaller footprint version), the C1-Pro for mid-tier performance, and the efficiency-focused C1-Nano. All of these cores are based on the ARMv9.3 ISA architecture family.

The C1-Ultra is effectively the successor to the Cortex-X925, and ARM claims it delivers 12% IPC gain over last year’s core, scaling up to 25% with higher clock speeds on 3nm. Importantly, the C1-Ultra delivers this uplift while cutting power consumption by nearly 28% at equal performance levels.

Meanwhile, the C1-Pro replaces the Cortex-A725, which can achieve the same performance as its predecessor with 26% less power, or 11% more performance at the same power level. 

Finally, the C1-Nano builds on the Cortex-A520 with a focus on branch prediction and cache improvements, yielding a 5–8% performance gain but a 26% efficiency improvement.

ARM C1 CPU Family – Key Specs

SME2 instruction set

Perhaps the most notable CPU feature this year is SME2 (Scalable Matrix Extension 2). Unlike previous SIMD extensions such as NEON or SVE, SME2 operates as a shared external accelerator rather than being embedded inside each core. This modular design allows all cores to access SME2 units when needed, while shutting them down entirely to save power when idle.

ARM says SME2 handles AI tasks better with:

• 4.7× lower latency for speech recognition
• 2.8× faster Stable Audio generation
• 3.7× average gain across ML benchmarks

While SME2 won’t replace dedicated NPUs or GPUs for large models, it should enable smoother on-device AI inference for smaller models, particularly in scenarios where the NPU isn’t accessible.

Mali G1 GPU

On the graphics side, ARM is phasing out the Immortalis branding and introducing a new line of Mali GPUs. The first Mali G1 family has Ultra (10+ cores), Premium (6–9 cores), and Pro (1–5 cores) versions. 

The flagship Mali G1-Ultra shows a 20% uplift in performance over last year’s Immortalis G925, along with 9% less energy per frame and up to 2× faster ray tracing thanks to dedicated hardware for BVH traversal. Improved cache and memory interconnect bandwidth further reduces bottlenecks and improves utilization.

That said, real-world ray tracing gains may be closer to 40%, as few mobile titles fully exploit the new hardware. Still, ARM’s decision to combine ray casting and intersection testing into a single structure should make the RTU more power-efficient than before.

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ARM’s next big CPU upgrade is now a little more official, at least by leak standards. A new leak by industry tipster Digital Chat Station claims that ARM will introduce a new high-performance CPU core, codenamed Travis, this September. And reportedly, the main talking point of this core will be IPC or instructions per cycle.

IPC essentially measures how much work a processor can do at a given clock speed. DCS claims that the Travis core brings double-digit IPC gains compared to its predecessor. That’s a meaningful jump, especially as chipmakers are increasingly looking to efficiency and smart workload distribution rather than pushing clock speeds endlessly higher.

ARM’s Travis core will support SME and IPC

The core also supports the Scalable Matrix Extension (SME) feature that will improve performance in AI and ML-related tasks. SME is part of ARM’s broader strategy to modernize compute architecture for increasingly heterogeneous workloads across mobile and edge devices.

What adds weight to the leak is that DCS shared images from what appears to be an official ARM press conference confirming these features directly. 

While ARM is responsible for the core design, MediaTek appears to be first in line to ship it in a commercial product. The Dimensity 9500 is expected to be MediaTek’s answer to whatever Qualcomm is preparing with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. 

DCS suggests the new MediaTek chip is already showing signs of strong performance, and it will likely benefit not just from the CPU upgrades, but also from a new GPU design reportedly ARM’s Mali-G1 Ultra, codenamed Drage.

ARM hasn’t made any public announcements yet, but if these leaks hold, the Travis core could become one of the more important under-the-hood changes in next-gen Android flagships.

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Arm Holdings, a major player in the semiconductor industry, is making ambitious moves to boost its revenue and influence. The company is increasing royalty rates for some of its chip designs by up to 300%, with the goal of generating an additional $1 billion annually over the next decade. This initiative, known as the “Picasso” project, focuses on its latest Armv9 architecture, targeting customers who use ready-made chip designs.

Arm’s fiscal year 2024 revenue stood at $3.23 billion, significantly smaller than that of its major customers like Apple. For comparison, Apple’s revenue from Arm-powered hardware is over 90 times larger. To bridge this gap, Arm is also considering a dramatic shift in its business model by designing and manufacturing its own chips. If implemented, this move would place Arm in direct competition with its largest clients, including Apple and Qualcomm.

The potential entry into chip-making raises concerns among customers and analysts. Arm’s proposed chip products include chiplets, smaller components that can be integrated into larger processors. However, this strategy risks alienating key customers, who may respond by designing their own chips and reducing reliance on Arm’s pre-made solutions. Qualcomm, for instance, has already taken steps to reduce its dependence on Arm technology.

Internal discussions and court documents reveal that Arm has been exploring these strategies since 2019. CEO Rene Haas has been a vocal advocate for change, expressing frustration with the company’s reliance on major customers and pushing for greater control over its technology.

SoftBank Group, which owns 90% of Arm, has supported these aggressive growth plans. However, the strategy comes with challenges. Higher royalties and direct competition with customers could disrupt long-standing relationships. Arm also faces competition from alternative chip designers, who might capitalize on the dissatisfaction of existing customers.

In a recent legal dispute, Arm accused Qualcomm of breaching licensing agreements, but a U.S. jury ruled in Qualcomm’s favor. This ruling could further embolden customers to seek alternatives to Arm’s technology.

While Arm’s new strategy aims to reshape the semiconductor market and boost revenue, its success depends on balancing growth with maintaining customer trust. The company’s bold plans have the potential to redefine its role in the industry, but they also carry significant risks.

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Qualcomm has emerged victorious in a crucial court case against Arm Holdings, a British chip designer. The lawsuit centered on whether Qualcomm breached a licensing agreement after it acquired startup Nuvia in 2021. Nuvia’s chip designs were allegedly based on Arm’s technology, and Arm argued that Qualcomm should pay a higher royalty rate for using them after the acquisition.

Qualcomm Wins, but Uncertainty Remains in Arm Lawsuit

The jury ultimately sided with Qualcomm on the most critical issue, ruling that the company’s central processor chips were properly licensed under its agreement with Arm. This is a significant win for Qualcomm as it paves the way for the company to continue selling its chips, including those that incorporate Nuvia’s technology.

However, the verdict wasn’t entirely clean-cut. The jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on whether Nuvia itself breached its licensing terms with Arm before being acquired by Qualcomm. This leaves some uncertainty hanging over the case, and it’s possible that this aspect could be retried in the future.

Judge Maryellen Noreika, who presided over the case, encouraged both parties to mediate their dispute to avoid another trial. “I don’t think either side had a clear victory or would have had a clear victory if this case is tried again,” Noreika remarked.

Despite the mixed verdict, the outcome is a relief for Qualcomm. The company’s stock price rose 1.8% in after-hours trading following the news. Arm, on the other hand, saw its shares dip by 1.8% in extended trading.

The legal battle between Qualcomm and Arm has been closely watched by the tech industry, as it has implications for the broader chip market. Arm licenses its chip designs to numerous companies, including many of Qualcomm’s competitors. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for future licensing agreements between Arm and its partners.

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Arm has unveiled a game-changer for mobile gamers: Arm Accuracy Super Resolution (ASR). This upscaling tech, based on AMD‘s FSR2 but optimized for mobile devices, lets you enjoy smoother gameplay even on less powerful phones and tablets. Unlike FSR2, designed for PCs and high-end consoles, Arm ASR prioritizes mobile applications and runs smoothly on devices with limited processing power. To further sweeten the deal, Arm offers ASR as an open-source solution, freely available to developers for integration into their games without licensing fees.

ASR prioritizes mobile apps and runs smoothly with limited processing power

This technology arrives at a critical juncture. With the increasing processing power of Arm processors (think Apple’s M series chips bringing Arm to laptops), mobile gaming is booming, with even demanding 3A titles landing on smartphones and tablets. Arm ASR addresses this shift by being specifically optimized for mobile limitations.

Internal tests by Arm are impressive. Using a specific GPU at 2x upscaling resolution, ASR delivers a 53% frame rate increase compared to FSR2’s 36%. Additionally, tests with MediaTek‘s Dimensity 9300 chip show that 2x ASR reduces power consumption by over 20% compared to native 1080p rendering. This translates to longer gaming sessions on battery-powered devices and helps prevent overheating – a major concern for mobile gamers.

While not the first mobile super-resolution technology (Qualcomm’s offering focused on performance over image quality), Arm ASR takes a different approach. It utilizes temporal super-resolution sampling technology, working with the game engine to deliver higher image quality but with slightly higher processing demands. This approach could positively impact Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC running Windows 11 on Arm, considering their focus on enhancing the Arm gaming experience. While Microsoft’s Auto SR technology offers AI-powered performance improvement, its reliance on AI processing currently limits its use to Copilot+ PCs.

Finally, Arm ASR boasts ease of use. Its foundation in AMD’s FSR2 allows familiar developers to quickly adapt to its API and configuration options. The open-source nature also eliminates licensing fees, simplifying cross-platform game development and enabling seamless progress transfer between devices, so you can pick up your game wherever you left off.

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The launch of Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon X-series laptops is a significant moment for Windows on Arm, potentially bringing it closer to parity with Apple‘s Arm-based Macs. However, a looming legal battle between Qualcomm and Arm is casting a huge shadow over this milestone.

ARM is claiming that Qualcomm doesn’t have a proper license for custom ARM chips

At the heart of the issue lies a disagreement over chip design. Arm claims Qualcomm doesn’t have the proper license for its custom Arm chips developed through Nuvia, a company Qualcomm acquired. Arm argues this violates Qualcomm’s contractual obligation and seeks to prevent the use of these Nuvia designs.

Qualcomm has been instrumental in building the Windows on Arm ecosystem. They’ve facilitated the development of native apps like Chrome and Slack, crucial for the platform’s success. Some speculate that Arm’s lawsuit aims to eliminate Qualcomm and replace them with their own Cortex designs, potentially benefiting from higher licensing fees with companies like MediaTek. This aligns with Arm’s past preference for companies using their pre-designed Cortex cores.

Despite the legal battle, the Snapdragon X-series launch is expected to proceed on June 18th with products from major manufacturers like Microsoft, HP, Dell, and Lenovo. While a settlement involving financial compensation is more likely than a complete product shutdown, the future of Qualcomm’s custom Arm designs remains uncertain.

Rumors suggest Nvidia, MediaTek, and AMD might enter the Windows on Arm space as soon as CES 2025. This could lead to increased competition and potentially a wider range of Arm-based laptop options for consumers.

(Via)

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Arm Holdings, is aiming to roll 100 billion Arm devices out in 2025. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to establish Arm as a key player in the rapidly expanding AI chip market, projected to grow from $30 billion in 2024 to over $200 billion by 2032.

To achieve this, Arm will establish a dedicated AI chip division. The division aims to produce prototypes by spring 2025 and begin mass production by the fall of the same year. The manufacturing will be managed by contract manufacturers, including potential collaborations with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC) and others. The development costs for these AI chips are expected to reach hundreds of billions of yen, with financial backing from Arm and contributions from SoftBank.

Strategically, there is a possibility that the AI chip business could be spun off and integrated under SoftBank once mass production is underway. This move aligns with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s vision of transforming SoftBank into an AI powerhouse. Son has earmarked a $64 billion investment to drive innovations across various sectors, including data centers, robotics, and power generation. He envisions integrating AI, semiconductor, and robotics technologies to revolutionize industries such as shipping, pharmaceuticals, finance, manufacturing, and logistics.

At the Computex forum in Taipei, Arm highlighted their target of having 100 billion Arm devices worldwide by the end of 2025, emphasizing the role of AI-ready devices. Furthermore, Arm unveiled new AI chip designs and software tools aimed at enhancing AI capabilities in smartphones. These new designs are expected to improve compute and graphics performance by over 30% and accelerate AI inference by 59% for machine learning and computer vision tasks.

Arm’s strategy includes providing ready-for-manufacturing blueprints, a departure from their previous approach of offering abstract designs. This shift aims to expedite the development process for their partners, such as Samsung and TSMC. Samsung is already collaborating with Arm on 3nm process technology to meet the growing demand for generative AI in mobile devices. TSMC is working with Arm to enhance AI performance and efficiency through their Open Innovation Platform ecosystem

With these initiatives, Arm is not positioning itself as a competitor but as an enabler, helping its customers bring AI-driven chips and devices to market more swiftly. Chris Bergey, Arm’s General Manager, expressed the company’s vision of combining a platform for tightly coupled accelerators with customer Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to foster the rapid development of powerful AI chips and devices.

As Arm moves forward with its plans, it aims to capture a significant share of the burgeoning AI chip market, capitalizing on the unmet demand currently dominated by Nvidia. The company’s focus on AI chip development is a pivotal step in SoftBank’s broader strategy to lead the AI revolution and transform various industries through cutting-edge technology.

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Chip designer ARM just unveiled the Cortex-X925 CPU and Immortalis G925 GPU, promising a significant leap in mobile performance for flagship smartphones arriving later this year.

The new Cortex CPU has a huge 36% increase in single-core performance

The Cortex-X925 CPU boasts a staggering 36% increase in single-core performance and a 41% improvement in AI tasks. It also introduces a new generation of Cortex-A microarchitectures for “small” cores, offering better performance and efficiency.

The Immortalis G925 GPU lives up to its name, delivering a 37% boost in graphics performance, a 52% improvement in ray tracing for complex objects, and a 34% enhancement in AI workloads. Remarkably, it achieves this power increase while consuming 30% less energy.

For faster device launches, ARM provides manufacturers with an “optimized layout” for easier integration of these new designs. While specific brands are unconfirmed, phones with these cores are expected by year’s end. MediaTek has already committed to incorporating them into their next-generation Dimensity 9400 chipset, potentially making it a unique powerhouse in the smartphone market.

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A processor is the heart of any smartphone, and currently, big companies like Qualcomm and MediaTek pretty much run the show. But Xiaomi might be looking to change things up a bit. They’re apparently working with ARM to make their own processors.

MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai directly confirmed that ARM is collaborating with Xiaomi on chip development. While the source of this statement comes from a Counterpoint Research report, the original report has been hard to find.

The news initially surfaced through popular tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo. According to the report, ARM was previously collaborating with Oppo, but the project faced challenges and was eventually abandoned.

To give you more background on this, there were reports in 2022 about Oppo venturing into manufacturing its own smartphone chips with ARM.

Basically, Oppo was most likely to use ARM’s Cortex CPUs and Mali GPUs in their processors. However, Oppo ceased its chip design efforts in 2023 due to a downturn in the global smartphone market.

Now that Oppo is out of the picture, it seems like ARM has found a new partner in Xiaomi for their own smartphone chipset.

It’ll be interesting to see who Xiaomi picks for chip design and manufacturing. For instance, Apple relies on TSMC for manufacturing A-series Bionic chips, while Google is currently relying on Samsung for Tensor SoCs.

So Xiaomi will also have to choose its partner for this endeavor. ARM will basically provide the base for processors, developing a chip from scratch involves a different set of challenges.

Parv Sharma, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, also emphasized the complexity of chip development and the trend of companies outsourcing this task. MediaTek, in particular, stands to benefit from this shift as they actively collaborate with smartphone manufacturers to refine chips for their devices.

Only time will tell if Xiaomi can successfully develop its chips from scratch.

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Technology continues to advance rapidly. While this often benefits consumers, even billion-dollar tech giants can sometimes struggle to keep up with this pace. It appears that Intel is currently facing a similar challenge. Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm are all working on ARM-based PC platforms, and Apple’s success with ARM-based technology has demonstrated its potential across the PC landscape. If Intel doesn’t adapt to this change, the company could face some serious challenges. Here are the details…

Intel’s PC chip ship is sinking with ARM-ada on the horizon

Intel is facing a number of serious challenges, including the rise of ARM-based PCs and Apple Silicon. Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm are all developing ARM-based PC platforms, which could pose a major threat to Intel’s dominance in the PC chip market. ARM-based chips are known for being more energy-efficient and less expensive than x86 chips, which are the type of chips that Intel uses.

Apple Silicon has also shown that ARM can be best-of-breed across the PC landscape. Apple’s M1 chip has outperformed Intel’s chips in a number of benchmarks, and it has helped to make Apple’s MacBooks some of the most popular laptops on the market. Intel also has a history of innovation failure. In the past, Intel has misread the market with the i860, the Itanium, and the Atom processors. These failures have cost Intel billions of dollars and have allowed its competitors to gain ground.

In the past, Intel has been able to use its dominance in the PC chip market to force its own standards on the industry. However, this approach is no longer sustainable. Intel needs to collaborate with other companies and be more flexible in order to meet the needs of its customers. It is too late for Intel to get back into the mobile market, and the dynamics that lost it the mobile market are spreading to commodity PCs and laptops. This is because the market is demanding more energy-efficient and less expensive devices.

Intel needs to improve its innovation process and focus on customer needs. If Intel can do these things, it may be able to survive in the new era of computing. However, if Intel fails to change, it could be left behind by its competitors.

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AMD and NVIDIA are reportedly designing Arm-based processors for Windows PCs, according to Reuters. This could significantly boost the current low sales of Arm-based Windows PCs while cutting Qualcomm’s market share.

Qualcomm has been the sole provider of Arm-based Windows PC processors for several years now, but its agreement with Microsoft is set to expire in 2024. AMD and NVIDIA’s chips could be available as soon as 2025, giving Microsoft more options for its devices.

Microsoft is reportedly encouraging AMD and NVIDIA to include “advanced AI features” in their chips, which suggests that they could be well-suited for creative professionals and other users who rely on AI-powered applications. 

Microsoft also recently introduced Windows Copilot, its AI-enhanced software, which it envisions to become an important part of using Windows. Thus, the company is emphasizing AI features in the silicon. We can also expect to see some gaming-focused features, such as powerful graphics hardware and image-upscaling technology.

Arm-based PC processors typically offer much better battery life than x64-based chips from Intel and AMD. This allows for laptops with longer endurance or thinner, lighter designs.

For instance, Qualcomm’s PC chips have been praised for their long battery life and connectivity options, but they have also been criticized for their lack of performance. The reported entry of AMD and NVIDIA into the market could put pressure on Qualcomm to improve its performance.

It is unclear exactly when AMD and NVIDIA’s Arm-based Windows chips will be released, but Reuters reports that it could happen as early as 2025.

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The collaboration between ARM and Apple is going strong. Apple has long used ARM technologies in its A-series Bionic processors, which it has used in iPhones. However, the launch of the M-series processors took this collaboration to a new level. Now, a new agreement has been signed between the two companies. Apple has signed a new deal with ARM that is “expected to extend beyond 2040”. Here are the details…

Apple Signs New Agreement with ARM That Extends Beyond 2040

Apple has signed a new agreement with ARM that extends beyond 2040. The deal, which was disclosed in ARM’s IPO filing, is expected to be worth billions of dollars. The companies’ chips are used in a wide range of devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and servers. Apple is one of ARM’s largest customers, using its chips in all of its iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch devices.

The new agreement ensures that Apple will continue to have access to ARM’s latest chip designs, which will be critical for the company’s future products. The deal is also a major victory for SoftBank, ARM’s parent company. SoftBank had been hoping to sell ARM to Nvidia, but the deal was blocked by regulators in the United States and the European Union.

The new agreement with Apple gives SoftBank a major source of revenue as it prepares to take ARM public. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is likely that Apple will pay ARM a significant royalty for each chip that it uses. The deal is also likely to include provisions that give Apple some say in ARM’s future development.

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British chipmaker ARM is gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO) as its parent company SoftBank plans to raise money from the public after the failed acquisition by Nvidia. Last month, a report said that Apple and Samsung are planning to buy shares of ARM when the IPO opens. Now a report by Reuters suggests that Arm customers, including Apple, and Samsung are set to be among the investors in the chip designer’s IPO. 

Apart from Apple and Samsung, ARM’s IPO has attracted many notable investors from the technology and chip industry, including AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, Cadence Design Systems, Synopsys, and Alphabet. These investors have agreed to invest in the IPO at a valuation of between $50 billion and $55 billion, Reuters reported earlier on Friday. SoftBank, ARM’s parent company, is hoping to hit this target valuation.

While the investment amounts of individual companies have not been disclosed, NVIDIA, Apple, and others have agreed to invest in Arm’s IPO. The report says that the investment amount could be between $25 million and $100 million. Arm and SoftBank are keeping aside 10% of the shares to be sold in the IPO. Amazon was also in talks to invest but has since pulled out for undisclosed reasons.

It is no surprise that Samsung and Apple are investing in ARM’s IPO. Both companies are major users of ARM chips, and they will benefit from having a say in the company’s future. However, investing in ARM’s IPO does not guarantee any special treatment, such as a seat on the board of directors or the ability to dictate strategy, reports Reuters. Still, the involvement of these companies makes it more difficult for a competitor to acquire ARM in the future.

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The importance of chip development and production is growing every day. Technology companies recognize this and often invest in this area to secure their future. For example, even though Samsung is based in South Korea, they have even a chip factory in the US. Now, the company has added another investment to its portfolio with its biggest rival. Apple and Samsung plan to invest in SoftBank Group’s chip design company, Arm, before its expected public launch in September. Here are the details…

SoftBank’s Arm IPO to Draw Billions in Investments from Apple and Samsung

Apple and Samsung re set to make strategic investments in SoftBank Group’s chip design company, Arm, before its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in September. According to the latest reports, Arm had been in talks with the two companies for several months. Arm is currently leading supplier of chip designs for smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

Its technology is also used in data centers and other high-performance computing applications. The company is valued at around $35 billion, and the IPO is expected to raise billions of dollars. The SoftBank has been under pressure to raise cash, and the sale of Arm would be a major windfall. SoftBank acquired Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, and it has been looking to sell the company for several years. he IPO is expected to be one of the biggest tech listings of the year.

In addition to Apple and Samsung, Arm is also in talks with other potential investors, including Nvidia and Intel. The company is expected to announce the final list of investors in the coming weeks.

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ARM unveiled its latest computing solutions today, including the Cortex-X4, the company’s latest CPU. The middle Cortex-A720 and small Cortex-A520 have also been launched today, offering a promise of performance and efficiency. In addition, ARM also introduced the fifth-generation GPUs, including the Immortalis G720, Mali G720, and Mali G620.

ARM flexes new and powerful CPU cores

The new Cortex-X4 is designed to offer a 15% higher performance than the X3 while operating at equal power. The X3 itself achieved a 25% speed increase compared to the X2. Additionally, the X4 offers a significant 40% reduction in power consumption for equivalent performance. The X4 is optimized for speed and is set to become ARM’s fastest CPU core ever, with expected clock speeds of 3.4GHz.

Further, the middle Cortex-A720 is the latest generation of Arm’s big core, optimized for efficiency, meaning it is ideal for tasks that require a lot of processing power, such as gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering. The A720 is 20% more efficient than the A715, which itself was 20% more efficient than the A710. This means that the A720 can deliver the same performance as the A715 while using 20% less power, or the same performance as the A710 while using 40% less power.

The Cortex-A520 is in-order core, meaning it executes instructions in the order they are received. It is designed so that two cores can share execution units, allowing ARM to reduce the size of the core and the amount of silicon it takes up. This also allows the A520 to be 22% more efficient than the A510.

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Arm, a prominent technology company, has recently unveiled its highly anticipated computing solutions for 2023. The latest lineup includes a range of cutting-edge CPUs, such as the Cortex-X4, A720, and A520, as well as the fifth-generation GPUs, including the Immortalis G720, Mali G720, and Mali G620. These GPUs have undergone significant enhancements and optimizations, with the Immortalis G720 standing out as Arm’s most impressive GPU release to date, boasting exceptional performance improvements and breakthrough efficiency.

The new Immortalis G720 can deliver graphics rivalling those of a PC

The star feature of the Immortalis G720 lies in its revolutionary Deferred Vertex Shader (DVS) technology. This groundbreaking methodology tackles the issue of memory access and bandwidth consumption, resulting in notable power savings and significantly increased frame rates. Arm’s experts estimate that approximately one-third of the power consumed during high-performance gaming is attributed to memory access. However, with the implementation of DVS, bandwidth usage can be reduced by an astounding 40%. These advancements translate into remarkable benefits compared to its predecessor, the Immortalis G715. The Immortalis G720 delivers an impressive 15% improvement in performance per watt, a similar percentage increase in peak performance, and an average 15% boost in frame rate. In practical terms, Arm’s measurements indicate an extraordinary 20% improvement in real-world performance, largely attributed to the bandwidth savings achieved through the utilization of DVS.

Thanks to the Immortalis G720, mobile platforms can now deliver a truly immersive and high-fidelity gaming experience, rivaling that of PC-level special effects. Real-time dynamic lighting, floodlighting, depth of field, and screen space ambient occlusion are now within reach, transforming mobile gaming into an incredibly lifelike and captivating experience. Notably, Arm has also announced that Unreal Engine 5‘s desktop renderer will make its way to Android later this year, further revolutionizing the capabilities of mobile gaming devices.

In addition to the DVS technology, the Immortalis G720 boasts several other remarkable features. These include support for hardware-level ray tracing, variable rate shading, and 2x MSAA modules, ensuring seamless adaptability to diverse gaming scenarios and delivering enhanced realism, smoother gameplay, and extended battery life. The Immortalis G720 can be configured with up to 16 cores, while the Mali G720 offers a range of 6 to 9 cores (with or without ray tracing). For those seeking a more affordable option, the Mali G620 provides up to 5 cores.

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The rise of ARM processors continues at full speed. This progress has been fueled by the growing popularity of smartphones, as well as the development and increasing demands of operating systems and applications. For the last few years Apple’s M1 series processors have added a new dimension to this trend. As you know, computers using ARM-based M series processors today are challenging their much more expensive competitors in terms of performance and efficiency. Despite one or two unsuccessful attempts by Microsoft, other manufacturers have not responded to Apple’s critical move. According to claims, ARM is taking matters into its own hands and is building its own semiconductor to showcase the capabilities of its products. Here are the details…

ARM Develops New Semiconductor to Exhibit Possibilities

According to the latest reports, ARM is developing its own semiconductor to showcase the capabilities of its products. To avoid any misunderstandings, let us clarify from the outset that the company does not plan to compete with its own products. Instead, ARM aims to demonstrate what mobile processors developed using its technologies can do in devices like PCs/laptops and smartphones. For example, Qualcomm occasionally manufactures a phone to exhibit the features of its new flagship processor, but this is only a sample product and not for sale. A similar situation applies here.

Of course, at the moment, this is only a claim. However, if the rumors are true, ARM will team up with manufacturing partners to develop the new semiconductor. The developed processor will be a prototype for use in both laptops and smartphones. The company is likely hoping to gain more business partners and increase its market value before its upcoming IPO, but there is a significant problem.

The success of Apple’s M-series processors comes from the harmony achieved between software and hardware. The company has provided strong support for its new processors since day one and has “forced” all applications on the market to work with these ARM-based processors.

When we look at Windows, the dominant operating system, we see a more traditional operating system that supports the x86 architecture. Although Microsoft has an operating system for ARM-based processors, it is, to put it mildly, incomplete. Therefore, showcasing the capabilities of the developed processor may be somewhat challenging. Nonetheless, it is worth waiting for official announcements from the company regarding further developments.

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The competition in the processor market has never been higher. With the increase in performance of mobile processors and the success Apple has achieved with its M-series Mac models, traditional manufacturers like Intel and AMD are compelled to adapt. Intel, recognizing this situation, is taking early steps to adjust. By optimizing its fabs for ARM chip production, the company is opening new opportunities in the global supply chain. Here are the details…

Intel Optimizes Fabs for ARM Chip Production, Opening New Possibilities for Global Supply Chain

Intel and ARM announced an agreement that will optimize Intel’s 18A fabrication process for use with ARM designs and intellectual property. While the deal doesn’t involve “Intel Foundry Services” division producing chipsets for ARM, it will significantly simplify the process for ARM licensees, such as Qualcomm and MediaTek, to commission Intel for future chip production.

Initially, the partnership will concentrate on optimizing Intel’s 18A process for mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs. However, both companies anticipate that the collaboration could expand to encompass silicon designed for the automotive industry, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and data centers. Additionally, Intel will extend its support to ARM licensees beyond wafer production, offering services related to packaging, software, and chiplets.

This comprehensive support highlights Intel’s vision to become a one-stop solution for ARM-based chip manufacturing. Intel has also emphasized the geopolitical implications of the agreement. By optimizing its fabs for ARM chip production, the company aims to create a more balanced global supply chain for foundry customers working on mobile SoC designs with ARM-based CPU cores. As of July last year, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was responsible for manufacturing nearly 70% of all critical chipsets used in modern smartphones, as reported by Counterpoint Research.

The recent military exercises by China, involving the encirclement of Taiwan, have raised concerns over potential conflicts on the island and the stability of the semiconductor supply chain. By collaborating with ARM, Intel is positioning itself as a viable alternative to TSMC, offering a more geographically diverse and secure chip production option for ARM licensees. This partnership is expected to have far-reaching effects on the global chipmaking landscape, potentially alleviating supply chain bottlenecks and fostering a more competitive market.

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Qualcomm is an American multinational corporation that designs and produces wireless telecommunications equipment and chipsets. They are known for their Snapdragon system-on-chips (SoCs) that power many popular smartphones and tablets. Recently, there have been rumours about their upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC that will be produced by TSMC using its 4nm process node. This chip is expected to feature a high-performance X-4 core running at a clock speed of 3.70GHz, four performance cores, and three efficiency cores. Additionally, there may be an overclocked version of this chip known as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which could be used in the Galaxy S24 lineup in 2024.

A recent tweet from a tipster named Revegnus has shed some light on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, which is expected to be produced using TSMC’s N3E process node. This chip is expected to feature Qualcomm’s own Oryon cores, which could result in a 40% improvement in multi-core performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This is thanks to the increased performance and energy-efficiency improvements offered by TSMC’s second-generation 3nm node. Qualcomm acquired Nuvia, the company behind the Oryon cores, for $1.5 billion in January 2021 to take on Apple’s M2 chip.

According to Revegnus, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is expected to score 6500 on the Geekbench 5 multi-core benchmark test. In contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is predicted to score above the 9000 mark (9100 to be exact), which is 40% higher than the M2. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be an octa-core chip with a configuration that includes two Nuvia Phoenix (or Oryon) performance cores and six Nuvia Phoenix (or Oryon) M’ efficiency cores. While the M2 is not expected to be used in any iPhone models, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could potentially power the Galaxy S25 series in the year 2025.

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ARM China fired almost 100 employees mostly engineers after reporting a record 96% drop in its Net Profit in 2022. The majority of fired employees were from the high-performance computing (HPC) and system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs team. The company has assured that all the outgoing employees will be adequately compensated according to their tenure. 

Arm China recorded a massive drop in its profit, even after achieving an increase in its annual revenue. In 2022, the company recorded a profit of $3.2 million as compared to $79.2 million in 2021. In the same period, the revenue grew from $665 million in 2021 to $890 million in 2022. According to Reuters, the company reported a $37 million loss in foreign exchange in 2022, compared with a gain of $9 million the previous year. 

The company had a turbulent 2022, with its now-ousted CEO refusing to leave the company even after the majority voted against him. Moreover, with the ongoing US-China tech war and unfavorable political and economic conditions, the company had to go for mass layoffs to compensate for the downward trend in its profits. The mass layoffs don’t come as a surprise, as in the last few months, many American and Chinese tech companies have laid off their employees for the same reasons. 

Arm China and its management struggles

Established in 2018, Arm China is a joint venture between the British semiconductor and software design company Arm and a group of Chinese investors. The parent company Arm primarily deals with designing ARM processors that are found in almost all smartphones and software development tools. Arm plays a vital role in the world’s largest computing ecosystem and works with partners like AWS, Google, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and more that use their technology across markets and applications.

Arm sells its products and services in China through Arm China. While Arm China is the only authorized platform that can sell Arm’s products, the company is allowed to sell its own independent designs and products apart from Arm, in the Chinese market.

The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group which owns ARM also has a minority stake in Arm China. In 2018, SoftBank Group sold the majority stake in Arm China to a group of investors who have ties with the Chinese government. This led to management and control issues as Arm China’s Ex-Chairman and CEO Allen Wu declared that Arm China was independent of its parent company. He said that Arm China was a stand-alone entity and would soon go for an independent public offering. 

Even after the majority of directors voted against him, CEO Wu refused to hand over control of the company. Finally, the Shenzen government, the home government of the company had to intervene to remove Wu from his position.

Wu still holds a 16% stake in the company and said that his removal should be seen as the parent company Softbank’s strategy to regain control of Arm China. He further added that if Softbank regains control over Arm China, then the sovereignty, technological self-sufficiency and supply chain security of China would be under threat. Arm refuted this claim by stating that the company’s intellectual property rights had nothing to do with internal management changes. 

Arm’s vice president of external communications Phil Hughes said that Arm China was performing well and the company was expected to grow in the coming years.  He further added that the new management team had quickly restored confidence in the China ecosystem, and the company had put the previous management issues behind it. Now Arm is only focused on expanding its technology into the Chinese market.

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The past few days have been busy with news about Windows on Arm. After Apple’s success with M-series processors, both Qualcomm and MediaTek want a share of the pie. Qualcomm, which has been operating in this field for a long time and is more ambitious, made the first announcement of its new processor. The company has announced that its upcoming custom Windows on Arm silicon cores will be called Oryon.

Qualcomm announces ‘Oryon’ next-gen ARM CPU

At Snapdragon Technology Summit 2022, Qualcomm announced a name for its custom Arm CPU called Oryon. Unfortunately the company didn’t offer any details but we have some knowledge. First of all, unlike MediaTek, these processors will be flagship, not entry-level. There will even be models that can compete with Apple’s M-series custom Arm processors.

Qualcomm has long invested in Windows on ARM. Having made several unsuccessful attempts so far, the company is determined to change course. In fact, they bought Nuvia for $1.4 billion a while ago. Nuvia has been working on ARM architectures for a long time, and they might have the experience Qualcomm needs to compete with Apple.

Unfortunately, the Windows-compatible Qualcomm processors currently on the market are directly based on ARM’s architecture. The company wants to make some more customizable products with Nuvia’s help. If they are successful, it is possible that they will manufacture processors just as powerful as Apple’s.

Products using the new Qualcomm Orion-based chips are expected to hit the shelves in 2024. Still, companies need to act quickly. Apple is currently widening the gap between the M series and its competitors. Within a year, the company is expected to introduce processors such as the M2 Pro and M3.

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Apple’s M1 series of silicon processors not only exists in its Mac Minis and Macbooks but also resides on the company’s iPads as well. Thus, a cybersecurity vulnerability in the SoC could lead to many modern Apple products being affected if they were to be targeted by a malicious attack.

And after announcing the company’s new M2 silicon processors at Apple WWDC 2022, news broke out that the Apple M1 silicon has been compromised in the cybersecurity department. And as both MacWorld and 9to5Mac quoted MIT researchers, the newly discovered security flaw defeats the last line of security of the M1 SoC and cannot be patched via software updates.

The highly concerning security vulnerability in M1 is named “PACMAN” because it defeats the M1’s Pointer Authentication Code (PAC) system. 

MacWorld explains that pointer authentication is a security feature that helps protect the CPU against an attacker that has gained memory access. Pointers store memory addresses, and pointer authentication code checks for unexpected pointer changes caused by an attack. In its research, MIT CSAIL created “PACMAN,” an attack that can find the correct value to successfully pass pointer authentication, so a hacker can continue with access to the computer.

Macworld quotes an MIT article with MIT CSAIL’s Joseph Ravichandran, who is the co-lead author of a paper explaining PACMAN, “When pointer authentication was introduced, a whole category of bugs suddenly became a lot harder to use for attacks. With PACMAN making these bugs more serious, the overall attack surface could be a lot larger.”

According to MIT CSAIL, since its PACMAN attack involves a hardware device, a software patch won’t fix the problem. The issue is a wider problem with ARM processors that use Pointer Authentication, not just Apple’s M1. “Future CPU designers should take care to consider this attack when building the secure systems of tomorrow,” Ravichandran wrote. “Developers should take care to not solely rely on pointer authentication to protect their software.”

MIT was able to perform the PACMAN attack remotely. The team mentions that they actually did all their experiments over the network on a machine in another room, as they described “PACMAN works just fine remotely if you have unprivileged code execution.”

Macworld reports that Apple is aware of MIT CSAIL’s findings and issued the following statement: “We want to thank the researchers for their collaboration as this proof of concept advances our understanding of these techniques. Based on our analysis as well as the details shared with us by the researchers, we have concluded this issue does not pose an immediate risk to our users and is insufficient to bypass operating system security protections on its own.”

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ARM Processors are the foundations for all smartphone chipsets we see today. Whether it be a Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek Dimensity, Apple Silicon or Samsung Exynos chipset, chances are that all the aforementioned silicon SoCs (system on a chip) are using ARM’s technology which includes its wildly popular ARM Cortex CPU Cores and ARM Mali GPUs.

Today, the ARM Limited tech giant has revealed the company’s earnings and profits for the fiscal year of 2021, and to the company’s investors’ delight, ARM had generated record-breaking yearly sales revenue and profits in the business throughout 2021.

In the media statement, ARM reveals that its 2021 total revenues were up by 35% when compared to 2020, totalling at 2.7 billion USD with strong growth in both royalty and non-royalty revenue streams. And as for profits, the company generated record EBITDA adjusted profits of 1 billion USD, which is up by 68% compared to 68%. Overall, the ARM company’s profit margins after adjustment is a high 37%.

Going into the specifics, ARM’s 2021 licensing (non-royalty) revenues were up 61% to 1.13 billion USD as the brand’s expanded product portfolio and new business models such as ARM Flexible Access gave more customers more reasons and more ways to license ARM technology.

As for royalty revenues, ARM’s 2021 figures were up 20% from 2020 to a record 1.54 billion USD, helped by continuing strong growth of 5G smartphones, more ADAS and IVI chips going into cars, and price increases in 32-bit microcontrollers.

In his closing remarks, Mr Rene Has, CEO of ARM said: “Our record results demonstrate that the demand for ARM technology and the strength of the ARM ecosystem has never been greater – our compute platform will power the next set of technology revolutions across cloud computing, automotive and autonomous systems, the IoT, the Metaverse and beyond.” 

“As we look ahead to a future built on ARM, our priority is to continue to deliver on our business strategy, enable partners with the solutions they need through further investment in our roadmaps and engineering talent, and together with our ecosystem redefine the future of computing,” Mr Rene added.

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ARM Processors are the foundations for all mobile chipsets we see today. Whether it be a Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek Dimensity, Apple Silicon or Samsung Exynos chipset, chances are that all the aforementioned technologies are using ARM’s technology which includes its wildly popular ARM Cortex CPU Cores and ARM Mali GPUs.

In the early 2020s, Nvidia initially had plans to acquire the British semiconductor design company, ARM Limited, from its parent company, Softbank Group, the Japanese technology conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo for over 40 billion USD. However, Nvidia’s plan was disrupted due to rising regulatory conflicts with the US government and the acquisition was terminated in February 2022.

The aftermath of this was that Softbank now values its ARM chip-making business as more crucial to the entire tech industry. So valuable in fact, that Softbank is actually considering listing its ARM business as an entity on the US NASDAQ Stock Market to gain more funding to further develop the company.

According to Nikkei Asia, industry sources say that SoftBank wanted the NASDAQ IPO(Initial Public Offering) to take place by the end of March 2023, meaning that ARM needs to complete auditing between June and September this year, as per NASDAQ listing procedures.

However, ARM has one problem that has yet to be resolved to complete its internal organisation auditing, which is its tense relationship with ARM China, the Chinese subsidiary of ARM.

Ever since 2020, ARM has struggled to regain control of ARM China as the subsidiary’s head, Allen Wu, has refused to relinquish power despite a 7-1 board vote in June 2020 to kick him out. The spat has made it difficult for ARM to audit the financials of the company, creating a major stumbling block to an initial public offering in the US.

Because of this, ARM decided to now transfer its shares in its wayward China joint venture to a special purpose vehicle that it jointly owns with its parent SoftBank Group Corp. A partner at the U.S. law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman, Han Lijie, commented that creating a special purpose vehicle that will not be part of the offering will allow ARM to indirectly hold ARM China shares. That means it can treat ARM China as an investment rather than a subsidiary when reporting financials.

The move by ARM is seen to be clever, as it is now able to speed up its plans to go public if it decides to list in the US.

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Arm has just revealed that it might have to downsize its total workforce by around 12 to 15 percent across the globe. In other words, it might have to cut up to 1,000 jobs following the Nvidia acquisition deal falling through.

According to a SkyNews report, the UK based chip designer stated that most of the proposed downsizing will be felt in the UK and US, although, it did not reveal any finer details regarding other regions. In a statement, the company said that “Like any business, Arm is continually reviewing its business plan to ensure the company has the right balance between opportunities and cost discipline.”

The chip designer further added that “Unfortunately, this process includes proposed redundancies across Arm’s global workforce.” The news follows after Nvidia failed to acquire Arm. For those unaware, the known graphics card maker was set to takeover the chip designer for a 40 billion US Dollar deal. But, opposition from various rival firms and anti-competition regulators from various nations stopped this deal. The deal would have Team Green buy the chip designer from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank.

Notably, the Arm employees would have shared a 1.5 billion US Dollars acquisition payout and retention bonus if the takeover actually took place. But now, former Arm’s co founder, Hermann Hauser, who has since left the company claims that the deal have resulted in thousands of job being cut in the UK, as the headquarters was planned to shift to the US.

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Apple is expected to update all of the M1-powered Mac devices to the next-generation models powered by the upcoming Apple M2 chipset. Now it appears that the launch of this new processor could happen next month.

A new report coming from MacRumors, citing a source with close links to Apple’s supply chain claims that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by the Apple M2 chipset will go official next month.

It is the same source that revealed last year’s last-minute Apple MacBook Pro notch for the webcam but not Face ID, which turned out to be true. This new report is in line with the preview report from DigiTimes.

It further adds that there won’t be any major changes in terms of the design for the upcoming MacBook which means that it will look exactly the same as the M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro. It will continue to have a Touch Bar but unlike the 14-inch and 16-inch models, there won’t be ProMotion display or a notch on top of the screen.

While the company has not yet confirmed this, rumors indicate that Apple will host its first event on this year on 8th March. At the upcoming spring event, the technology giant is expected to launch the next-generation iPhone SE with support for 5G connectivity.

Apple M2 will mark the debut of the second-generation Apple Silicon processors after the company launched the M1 chipset a couple of years back. Apart from the MacBook Pro, the M2 chipset will power the new MacBook Air and other devices that are already powered by the current-generation M1 processor.

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Intel has recently announced that it is setting up a new fund that will help startups in developing new technologies from its Intel Foundry Services (IFS). This billion dollar fund is being offered to both large and small firms that are working on innovative chip tech that will not be limited by ISAs (instruction set architectures).

As per the official announcement (Via TomsHardware), the funds will help startups that are seeking to develop disruptive tech (technology that has a major impact on the market/industry) while also reducing the time it takes for these technologies to make it to the consumer market. Notably, the chip making giant won’t be limiting architecture for firms using its IFS. While Team Blue has been a major figure in the x86 architecture, the 1 billion US Dollar fund will embrace other instruction sets as well. This includes the x86, ARM, and even RISC-V.

The first two are known architectures that are used in PCs and smartphones, but the latter is an open sourced and free platform that has been rising in popularity in recent times. In other words, Intel will include RISC-V under its IFS fund to bring in more customers. Furthermore, the chipmaker is also betting on development of modular designs on chip architecture through advanced 3D packaging technologies. In simpler terms, it is expecting the semiconductor industry to shift towards chips that use multiple ISA in a single chip.

Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, stated that “Foundry customers are rapidly embracing a modular design approach to differentiate their products and accelerate time to market. Intel Foundry Services is well positioned to lead this major industry inflection. With our new investment fund and open chiplet platform, we can help drive the ecosystem to develop disruptive technologies across the full spectrum of chip architectures.” The sizeable fund will be streamlined in three aspects:

• Equity investments in disruptive startups.
• Strategic investments to accelerate partner scale up.
• Ecosystem investments to develop disruptive capabilities supporting IFS customers.

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Nvidia was set to acquire Arm from the SoftBank Group for a whopping sum of 66 billion US Dollars. However, this deal saw scrutiny from various regulators and has apparently collapsed as of right now.

According to sources close the matter (Via ArsTechnica), Team Green’s deal with the Japanese multinational conglomerate has collapsed due to regulators in the US, UK, and EU raised various concerns regarding the possible market effects it will have on rivals within the semiconductor industry. Some of these concerns included anti competitiveness and even national security risks, while the known graphics card maker also faced a lawsuit by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) last year.

For those unaware, this deal was expected to be the largest ever in the chip industry and would have had Nvidia acquire the company behind ARM’s technology that powers most smartphones across the globe. While companies like MediaTek and others supported the acquisition, others including Qualcomm and Microsoft had objected to the purchase. The report further added that SoftBank will be receiving a fee of up to 1.25 billion US Dollars despite the deal collapsing and is now planning on putting up Arm on an initial public offering.

This will reportedly take place before the end of this year as per one of the people close to the matter. SoftBank might now list Arm in New York as Nvidia reportedly abandoned this deal earlier this week on Monday. This is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt for now, and stay tuned for more updates.

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Amid the ongoing semiconductor shortage plaguing multiple industries worldwide, Cristiano Amon, the CEO of Qualcomm, has shared some information in a statement that comes as a ray of hope.

According to a report by TheElec, Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm’s CEO) said that the global chip shortage is easing, and the situation is expected to improve next year.

“Supply has improved this year over 2020 and the situation is expected to improve even more in 2022, especially compared to 2020,” said Amon in his statement to reports from South Korea.

This statement given on December 2nd comes in contrast with the statements issued earlier by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, who expects the global chip shortage to continue until 2023. At the same time, Arm CEO Simon Segars has warned that the situation is expected to get even worse than it is right now.

Due to chip shortages all across the board, smartphone brands have been unable to procure enough chips to put in their devices and meet market demand. But some chip manufacturers like MediaTek have seen a growth in their market share thanks to the demand and supply gap created by the shortage.

Earlier this week, Qualcomm unveiled its latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC which is being made exclusively by Samsung Foundries using their 4-nanometer node. This partnership will be crucial for Qualcomm as the foundry’s yield rates will determine whether Qualcomm will meet the market demands in the upcoming year or keep losing ground to other chipmakers.

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Ever since Nvidia announced the acquisition of ARM, the deal has been facing lots of obstacles and now it has run into another massive hurdle. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that it is suing to block the merger from going through.

The commission is concerned that the combined entity would “stifle competing next-generation technologies.” The lawsuit comes after FTC investigated the deal after receiving complaints from Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm.

In a statement, FTC Bureau of Competition Director Holly Vedova said: “The FTC is suing to block the largest semiconductor chip merger in history to prevent a chip conglomerate from stifling the innovation pipeline for next-generation technologies. This proposed deal would distort Arm’s incentives in chip markets and allow the combined firm to unfairly undermine Nvidia’s rivals.”

Responding to the news, Nvidia spokesperson said: “As we move into this next step in the FTC process, we will continue to work to demonstrate that this transaction will benefit the industry and promote competition.”

The FTC notes that Nvidia already uses Arm-based products for several areas, including high-level advanced driver systems for vehicles, CPUs for cloud computing, and DPU SmartNICs. By acquiring Arm, Nvidia would gain an unfair advantage in those markets.

It has also raised concerns that Nvidia would gain access to sensitive information from Arm licensees who already compete with Nvidia, in addition to de-incentivizing Arm from working on new products and designs that would conflict with Nvidia’s own interests.

Nvidia has promised that it would keep Arm’s existing open licensing model to provide semiconductor designs to companies, including Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, Amazon, and more. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that the company has no intention to ‘throttle’ or ‘deny’ Arm’s supply to any customer.

Apart from FTC, the European Union has also opened a formal investigation into the deal while the UK’s Competition and Market Authority is looking more in-depth for the potential national security risks and competition concerns.

For the uninitiated, Nvidia announced its plans to acquire the UK-based Arm from SoftBank in September 2020 in a deal that is valued at $40 billion. The deal has faced criticism from both international regulators and industry heavyweights.

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Qualcomm is gearing up to make several announcements at the upcoming Tech Summit and we recently reported about the company focusing on the new upcoming ARM-based chips to compete against the Apple M-series chips for PCs.

So far, we have seen a few Windows computers powered by Qualcomm’s ARM chips and not from any other chipset maker and as it turns out, there’s a reason behind this. XDA-Developers reports that Qualcomm has an exclusive deal with Microsoft for Windows on ARM, but the deal is set to expire soon.

Also, Microsoft has also publicly said that anyone can build a Windows on an ARM chip. The exclusive deal was in place because both Microsoft and Qualcomm worked together for the development of Windows on ARM.

With the deal set to expire, we will be seeing more and more manufacturers competing in this space. There’s also a possibility that Samsung, which is now working with AMD for graphics processors on its chips, could make Exynos-powered Windows PCs.

MediaTek has already announced that the company is planning to build a chipset for Windows on ARM and with Qualcomm also working for the same for the past few years, it’s inevitable that the transition is about to take off from x86 architecture to ARM. It’s also high time for Windows given that Apple is making impressive progress towards this with its new Apple Silicon chips.

It’s been a few years since Windows on ARM was first announced and has made quite progress, including adding support for x64 emulation, along with ARM64EC, to make it easier to run apps natively with emulated plug-ins. There’s still more work to do but it’s good to see the development picking up pace and with more players getting involved, they can push the platform further.

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During the 2021 Investor Day event, Qualcomm unveiled its next-generation technology that paves a path for the company to compete against Apple Silicon’s new M-series chips used for the new Mac devices.

Qualcomm has unveiled its new CPU hardware that is designed by Nuvia, a chip startup founded by three former Apple engineers. For those who are unaware, Qualcomm had acquired Nuvia earlier this year for $1.4 billion.

The company is looking to advance its PC processors with the next-generation Arm-based SoC which it says is “designed to set the performance benchmark for Windows PCs” that would be able to go head to head with Apple’s M-series processors.

The chipset company is also aiming to be a leader for “sustained performance and battery life.” Further, Qualcomm has also promised that it would be scaling up its Adreno GPUs for offering desktop-class gaming capabilities for its future PC products.

The new Qualcomm chips for PCs, designed by Nuvia, are slated to ship in consumer products sometime in 2023. This is quite a long time, giving Apple about two more years to unveil or showcase its future Apple Silicon chips.

It will be interesting to see Qualcomm’s new take for the PC chips as its previous attempts have been lackluster so far. So far, it has launched Snapdragon 8cx processors and partnered with Microsoft for the SQ1 and SQ2 chips on the Surface X.

Qualcomm aiming to compete with Apple isn’t surprising as the Cupertino-based giant stunned everyone when it announced its plan of transitioning Mac devices from Intel to its own Apple Silicon platform which so far has three chips — M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max. These processors from the company, based on the ARM architecture, offer a revolutionary experience of power and battery life.

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The global shortage of important components for a wide array of tech products, it seems, is yet to abate, as multiple industry projections indicate that the chip shortage will extend beyond December 2021. Arm CEO, Simon Segars views the worsening situation as possible of harming sales of tech products including smartphones during the year-end festive period. Segars sees a widening gap between demand and supply, which he viewed as the most extreme he had seen.

The global glut is even projected to extend up to December 2022, as chipmakers grapple with clearing the backlog of unfulfilled orders from manufacturers. The Arm boss also feels that consumers will be affected in getting their orders for devices on a schedule. His views are not different from sentiments shared by chipmakers and industry experts, even with some extensive efforts to bridge the demand-supply gulf.

The chip shortage is seen to be worsening in some cases, affecting production deadlines and stalling critical aspects of the production schedule. It is unclear the level of damage the chip shortage had done to the tech industry, but it could be rising. Some of the heavy hitters in the chipmaking business have continued to expand their operations and technologies to address the chip shortage. Some governments have also made interventions to monitor and enhance the supply chain to curb inefficiencies and delays in the chain. These moves seem not to have yielded the full desired result as of now.

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(via)

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Nvidia’s acquisition of ARM has been facing obstacles ever since the company announced the deal and in the latest setback, the European Union antitrust regulators have now opened a full-scale investigation into the acquisition of ARM, a deal worth $54 billion.

The antitrust regulator will be looking into the concerns about the deal leading to higher prices, fewer options to choose from, and reduced innovation. The Commission said that it would make a decision about the deal by March 15, 2022.

This full-scale investigation comes after a preliminary review during which Nvidia reportedly offered concessions that were viewed as insufficient by the European Commission.

Nvidia has not disclosed what these concessions are but it has previously said it would maintain ARM as a neutral technology supplier to soothe concerns from customers such as Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Apple, among others.

EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said: “Whilst Arm and Nvidia do not directly compete, Arm’s IP is an important input in products competing with those of Nvidia, for example in datacentres, automotive and in the Internet of Things. Our analysis shows that the acquisition of Arm by Nvidia could lead to restricted or degraded access to Arm’s IP, with distortive effects in many markets where semiconductors are used.”

Commenting on this, Nvidia spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the European Commission through the regulatory process. We look forward to the opportunity to address their initial concerns and continue demonstrating that the transaction will help to accelerate Arm and boost competition and innovation, including in the EU.”

A couple of months ago, the UK regulator found that the acquisition of ARM by Nvidia could damage competition and weaken rivals, and required a further lengthy investigation.

For the uninitiated, NVIDIA, the world’s biggest graphics card, and AI chips maker announced the acquisition of ARM last year. SoftBank had acquired ARM back in 2016 for 31.4 billion US Dollars. ARM is a known chip designer with its architecture being one of the most popular designs used in most smartphone chips.

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The excitement and the anticipation for the Pixel 6 series are pretty high, and rightly so. Google is going with a new design for the flagships which will also feature the first Google’s own mobile chipset called Google Tensor. There have been lots of details about the processor with a recent one revealing the CPU and GPU details. Fresh info has now surfaced and it paints a different picture about how powerful the chipset really is.

The folks at XDA-Developers have been able to get details of the Tensor chipset from an unnamed source who has a real Pixel 6 Pro in his hands. The source was able to confirm that the Tensor processor does have a 2+2+4 CPU core arrangement. He also confirmed that the frequencies are correct.

The interesting bit, which is the exact CPU parts, was discovered in a system file and they reveal a major difference in the CPU cores from what was reported earlier. The CPU cores are said to be 2x Arm Cortex-X1 cores clocked at 2.802GHz, 2x Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.53GHz, and 4x Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.80GHz. The earlier report had stated that it has the newer 2x Cortex-A78 cores!

It is surprising that the Tensor chip is using Arm’s older performance cores but the XDA Developers report says that the info was cross-checked against other devices to confirm that they had not misinterpreted the details they got.

Other details confirmed for the Pixel 6 Pro are 12GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS storage, an AV1 decoder that is hardware-accelerated by the Google Tensor chip. It also supports aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth audio codecs as well as Sony’s LDAC codec.

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The Google Pixel 6 series is highly anticipated. Not only is Google revamping the design this year, but the new phones will also be powered by Google’s own processor which is dubbed Google Tensor. New details of the processor have leaked and they reveal an interesting detail.

Just like this year’s flagship chipsets from Qualcomm and Samsung i.e. the Snapdragon 888/Snapdragon 888+ and the Exynos 2100, a leak by the Chinese leaker, Digital Chat Station, has revealed that the Tensor processor will also feature Arm’s Cortex-A1 CPU core. However, it won’t have one but two of these cores. The info was revealed in a Weibo post.

The leaker revealed the processor will have the two Cortex-X1 cores clocked at 2.8GHz along with two high-performance cores clocked at 2.25GHz and four efficiency cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The CPU is paired with the Mali-G78 GPU whose clockspeed wasn’t revealed.

An earlier report disclosed that the Google Tensor chip will be built on Samsung’s 5nm node. The processor will bring key improvements in AI tasks such as translation, captioning, and dictation. Google has also revealed that the phones will feature the most layers of hardware security in any phone.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will have displays with a punch hole for the front-facing camera. The former will have two rear cameras while the pro model will have three rear cameras that include one with a telephoto lens that provides 4x optical zoom.

Google is yet to announce a date for the release of the phones but multiple sources point to an October release date.

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NVIDIA has sought European Union antitrust approval for the $40 billion acquisition of chip designing company ARM. This could kickstart an antitrust probe which may become an obstacle for the company’s plan to close the deal by early 2022.

According to the European Commission filing, the initial deadline to rule on the transaction has a deadline of 13th October. The regulators are likely to echo worries similar to those voiced by the UK watchdog last month.

The competition watchdog of the United Kingdom has warned that the deal could damage competition and weaken rivals, and required a further lengthy investigation. The acquisition also needs approval from the U.S. and China.

The deal must be completed by September of next year, or NVIDIA would have to pay SoftBank $1.25 billion.

In a statement related to this, NVIDIA said, “We are working through the regulatory process and we look forward to engaging with the European Commission to address any concerns they may have. This transaction will be beneficial to Arm, its licensees, competition, and the industry.”

With criticism surrounding the deal, the EU is likely to extend its review by at least another four months to examine potential competition concerns. The company had originally planned to complete the deal by March 2022, when the acquisition was announced.

For the uninitiated, NVIDIA, the world’s biggest graphics card and AI chips maker announced the acquisition of ARM last year. As a part of the deal, NVIDIA will be paying 12 billion US Dollars in cash, which includes 2 billion US Dollars payable at signing and giving out 21.5 billion US Dollars worth of NVIDIA’s stock to SoftBank.

SoftBank had acquired ARM back in 2016 for 31.4 billion US Dollars. ARM is a known chip designer with its architecture being one of the most popular designs used in most smartphone chips from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, and even certain Intel chips.

Companies like Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple are opposing the acquisition while some other companies, including Broadcom, MediaTek, and Marvell are in support of the deal.

To ensure that the deal gets approval, NVIDIA has promised that it will maintain open licensing and that the deal will help ARM, its licensees, and the industry. Antitrust officials rarely approve “behavioral commitments” without a more careful review due to the difficulty of checking how a company will keep its promises.

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Microsoft recently released the beta version of the Windows 11 operating system and developers are already experimenting with it. Soon after the first preview of Windows 11 was released, the OS was ported to Lumia 950 XL smartphone.

Now, in a further development related to that, a new dialer for the smartphone has been added that is designed to run on Windows instead of Windows Mobile. Simone Franco, a Computer Engineering student has created this dialer.

Along with the addition of a dialer, there’s also a new contact page with an alphanumeric bar next to the scroll bar that allows users to quickly find contacts.

Last month, Gustave Monce had successfully installed Windows 11 preview build on the Lumia 950 XL smartphone which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon series chipset and has ARM-based support. In a video shared by the developer, the smartphone runs the full version of the Windows 11 operating system without major issues.

There seems to be some noteworthy performance improvement on the Lumia 950 XL running Windows 11 compared to Windows 10 which was ported earlier. This shows the increasing compatibility and could soon pave way for more ARM-based devices running the Windows operating system relatively smoothly.

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Nvidia has recently received support from three of the world’s largest chip makers that have expressed support for its deal to take over Arm. This deal was valued around 40 billion US Dollars and has also been under scrutiny.

According to a SCMP report, the known graphics card maker has gotten a boost from MediaTek, Marvell Technology, and Broadcom Corp as well. These firms are also the first customers of the UK Based Arm to publicly support Nvidia’s takeover of the chip designer. For those unaware, the deal has come under fire recently over national security grounds as well as competition within the industry.

Furthermore, the news arrives as the UK Competition and Markets Authority has been gearing up to deliver a review that could oppose this acquisition deal. Previously, other tech giants like Qualcomm and Microsoft along with Google had also expressed their concerns with this takeover, stating that the company might raise prices for its rivals in the market. Arm is a major chip designer with its tech being sold to more than 500 companies across the globe. At the moment, the company is being sold by Japan’s SoftBank Group.

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Qualcomm has recently stated that it is ready to invest in Arm if the 40 billion US Dollars NVIDIA deal fails. This statement arrives as the takeover of the British chipmaker might be blocked by regulators.

According to a Telegraph report, the US Chipmaking giant’s chief executive Cristiano Amon said that Qualcomm would be ready to buy stake in Arm along with other industry players. At the moment, the NVIDIA deal to acquire Arm is currently under investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Similarly, concerns have also risen from other nations like the US and Japan, with Arm being under the ownership of Japan’s Softbank Group.

Amon stated that “If it moves out of Softbank and it goes into a process of becoming a publicly traded company, [with] a consortium of companies that invest, including many of its customers, I think those are great possibilities. We will definitely be open to it, and we have had discussions with other companies that feel the same way.” These other companies reportedly includes the likes of E-retailing giant Amazon, and even electric car maker Tesla.

Furthermore, the multi billion US Dollar from NVIDIA has been under scrutiny from various rival firms and regulators. Previously, we had also reported on Google and Microsoft raising their own concerns, citing that the takeover could potentially hamper competition in the market. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available or any notable developments surface in the future.

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