MediaTek taps TSMC 6-nanometer tech for new flagship 5G phone chips

MediaTek is amongst a handful of companies with modem technology to connect phones to mobile data networks

MediaTek on Wednesday said it would use Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s 6-nanometer chipmaking technology for its newest chips aimed at premium 5G smartphones.

Taiwan’s MediaTek appears to be one of the first high-volume customers for the technology and is amongst a handful of companies with modem technology to connect phones to mobile data networks, competing against Qualcomm Inc and Samsung.

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The new chips announced Wednesday, called Dimensity 1100 and 1200, build on MediaTek’s efforts to go after higher-priced handsets where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips have historically had a stronger market share.

Like Qualcomm and Apple, MediaTek designs chips and then contracts out production to outside firms. The newest chips will be made at TSMC, on a chipmaking technology called a 6-nanometer. Qualcomm’s chips are being made by Samsung on 5-nanometer technology while Apple uses TSMC’s 5-nanometer technology.

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Smaller chipmaker technology is faster and more power-efficient. MediaTek’s previous chips used a 7-nanometer process, and moving to newer manufacturing technology along with advances in the chip’s design make it 22% faster at computing tasks while consuming 25% less power, Finbarr Moynihan, general manager of international corporate sales, told Reuters in an interview.