Samsung – Tamfis

Samsung is preparing two Galaxy Z Fold7 phones next year, report suggests

Samsung Galaxy S25 family to cut costs in display technology

Technology tamfitronics

Samsung is now rumored to be saving some money on the displays for its upcoming Galaxy S25 series, expected to arrive in January with three members: the S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. In order to save said money, the company will reportedly go with M13 organic materials for their displays.

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro already use panels with M14 materials, and they’re also made by Samsung Display. But Samsung Electronics will allegedly go with the older and cheaper option, to make some extra cash – be assured that the savings won’t be passed down to the buyers.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

If you’ve been wondering what M14 materials bring to the table compared to M13, it’s apparently 20-30% higher efficiency and a 10-20% longer lifespan. If we merely compare numbers, there also seems to be a slightly higher peak brightness. This rumor started in Korea but has also been confirmed by Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants, a generally reliable source of supply chain related information for smartphones.

All this being said, keep in mind that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will undoubtedly keep using the Gorilla Glass Armor that was introduced by its predecessor, which significantly cuts down on the screen’s reflectivity. This means less brightness will go a longer way since it doesn’t need to fight reflections.

Source 1 (in Korean) | Source 2

Intel and Samsung might be considering a foundry alliance to counter TSMC

Business new tamfitronics Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.
TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.

In a nutshell: Intel’s fledgling foundry business, Intel Foundry Services (IFS), has struggled to gain significant traction since its launch in 2021. While it’s secured customers like Cisco and AWS, bigger clients and chip orders are still out of reach. Now, the company has reportedly reached out to Samsung Electronics to explore forming a strategic foundry alliance.

According to a report by the Korean Maeil Business Newspaper, a senior Intel executive recently requested a high-level summit between the company and Samsung. The goal is for Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to meet directly with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong to discuss comprehensive cooperation plans merging their foundry operations.

If such an alliance comes to fruition, the synergies could be significant. The report says that the two companies may collaborate on process tech exchanges, shared production equipment utilization, and joint R&D initiatives. They could combine strengths like Samsung’s advanced 3nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) technology for enhanced efficiency with Intel’s mastery in packaging via Foveros chip stacking and PowerVia power optimization.

While there’s no official confirmation as of yet, the report doesn’t come as a surprise. In Q2 2024, data from TrendForce showed TSMC dominated the foundry market with 62.3% share, while Samsung trailed far behind at 11.5%.

Moreover, the firms’ geographic footprints are complementary. Samsung operates fabs in the US, South Korea, and China, while Intel has facilities across the US and Ireland. With tightening semiconductor export controls in the US and EU, the report notes that producing chips regionally is becoming increasingly important.

Beyond geography, the benefits for Samsung could include finally solving its foundry yield rate woes to a degree. A report recently highlighted how the company’s yield for processes below 3nm currently stands below 50 percent, while its GAA technology yield is reportedly as low as 10 to 20 percent.

For Intel, it could represent a foundry comeback after alienating major customers with repeated delays in advancing to newer chip manufacturing nodes. Team Blue’s foundry business is facing challenges, and the company even split the division in September, with the fabrication operation confirmed to run as an independent subsidiary.

TSMC has captured virtually all industry attention and most major orders, leaving scant foundry market share for Intel or Samsung to compete over. A collaboration between its competitors could dramatically reshape the foundry landscape and intensify competition.