Recently, qualcomm officially launched flagship Snapdragon820 processor. Be released at the end of last year and respectively Exynos7420 and Exynos8890 samsung chip, chip market leader has the performance of the mobile platform standard level of ascension to 14/16 nm, behind a series of parameters, more both to make up lost ground a continuing ambition; Domestic chip manufacturers, by contrast, are no longer willing to shallow level of imitation and follow. They did not follow the pioneer product path, but the rhythm of the respective implementation technology upgrade. "Although the reserve at the current products and technology, domestic manufacturers still does not have comprehensive against the international enterprise's strength, but in some ways, they are more willing to follow the market demands." Gartner, a research director at semiconductor ChengLingHai said.

Escape from 20 nm nightmare

"The rapid rise of domestic manufacturers, from the market into the beginning of the age of 20 nm." Mediatek, general manager of Beijing branch WeiZhong said.

In the second half of 2014, samsung, apple, mediatek and qualcomm has introduced Exynos5430, A8, the sunrise X20 and Snapdragon810 three use 20 nm technology platform for the mobile, declare the mobile phone market entered a new era of process. In theory, the new technology will further optimize the performance of the SoC, better balanced performance and power consumption, which is three big manufacturers directly rapid layout 20 nm technology.

But counterproductive. Huawei Fellow YiWei told reporters after accurate measurement, data showed that 20 nm platform transistor density of 1.9 times for 28 nm products, the performance of the same power consumption is only 75% of the latter. But on the power consumption per unit area, 20 nmsoc1. 425 times the 28 nm platform. Which is Xiao dragon 810 manufacturers, the heating problem has been the other use 20 nm technology platform also didn't get the ideal user feedback. "If it wasn't iPhone6 help, 20 nm line has the potential to be the most short-lived TSMC product line." ChengLingHai said.

Because of to realize 20 nm process defects, manufacturers have changed before publishing platform of rhythm - carrying 14 nmexynos7420 platform of samsung GalaxyNote5 with GalaxyS6Edge + just listed, Exynos8890 officially released in its website; Huawei is more choice over 20 nm process technology, joint directly promote 16 nm TSMC chip kirin 950 research and development work, the end of November, with huawei Mate8 is about to launch the platform; In the Snapdragon820 conference, qualcomm CEOStevenMollenkopf couldn't wait to say, determine the product has more than 60 of the scheme.

Before the interview, spreadtrum, chief executive of Mr. Lee said, the company also will give up the ARM architecture, by Intel foundry production process of 14 nm mobile platform, further reduce the threshold of the use of new technology. Thus, everybody is with the fastest speed, to get rid of 20 nm process manufacturing technology, to embrace new technology as soon as possible. "In the first half of 2016, mobile phone products will be fully into the era of 14/16 nm process." WeiZhong added.

"Shift"

At this point, there are three details worth pondering.

First of all, after adopting TSMC16nmFinFETPlus technology, kirin 950 accelerates the pace of development, on behalf of domestic chip makers huawei, a rare become the industry's first commercial SoC of this platform; Secondly, dares to give up the following strategy, choose its own platform evolution route strategy, such behavior in China is rare; Finally, more domestic chip manufacturers are no longer in progress behind samsung and qualcomm, so pack and the situation has never been before.

ChengLingHai said the process appeared congenital technology hidden danger is not surprising. As early as 90 nm and the age of 45 nm, between performance and fever was irreconcilable conflict. But at the time, take the initiative to jump into the trap of "high performance and high fever", with technology upgrades make up the loss of enterprise, finally still is given priority to with international companies. Nowadays, domestic enterprises can find problems, and to choose at odds with international manufacturers of evolution path, and this is the first time.

This, also reflected in the baseband platform. Snapdragon820, for example, the platform's built-in modem X12LTE support up double carrier aggregation and down three carrier aggregation. For now, however, has not yet been covered domestic matching networks, and domestic manufacturers from set out actually, configuration standards maintained in double carrier carrier aggregation level 40 MHZ bandwidth. "Huawei has launched the first support the 12 / Cat13 Balong750 baseband chips (UL) network, but we prefer to mature and available technical configuration to the platform." YiWei said.

Although the core technology and spreadtrum technically not overtake huawei, but the two companies are no longer eager to pursue a pioneer, but stick to dig the low-end market opportunities. Now, with core technology SDR1860 chip red rice 2 a total sales volume has exceeded 10 million, spreadtrum with shipments of 3 g chip market, also become the world's third largest mobile chip platform providers.

Even on the performance, the domestic chip international manufacturers have not lost. According to understand, kirin 950 with 4 x + 4 x A53big A72. LITTLE architecture, as well as a new generation of MaliT880GPU, help its kernel eer increase 11% and 30%, performance and power consumption was reduced by 20%. To improve performance, kirin 950 for the first time to independent research and development of commercial ISP technology, support 14 bit double ISP, 4 times can improve throughput permeance 960 mpixel/s; Double 13 mpixelsensor online, help products are less abundant image information acquisition. Flat number of standards with international manufacturers, some even realize. "Before, the international enterprises to control the market trend, today, the domestic enterprises in the 'shift'." WeiZhong said.

The winner?

At present, 14/16 nm age just starting to set the current information to determine performance and practical between winning or losing is premature. But from the perspective of the attitude of handset makers, they prefer the value of the latter.

A mainstream mobile phone manufacturer representatives said, on schedule, used to browse information on the user is still couldn't keep up with the carrier of meshing speed, and the development of the intelligent terminal products is beyond the progress of the domestic network development, so the backward excess terminal users and performance between effective docking, it is not good news for technology-oriented enterprises.

Starting from the link of cost, the operators also in the promotion of 4 g and 4 g + network, terminal tilting early implementation supports the above 6 web standards will produce waste of resources, the pressure will fall on the user's shoulder. "From the perspective of a Snapdragon820 configuration, the price of the platform should be above $60, pick up the platform of mobile phone will be in 2000 yuan of above. However pay these costs can be converted to the ideal operating experience, it is still hard to speak." WeiZhong said.

At the same time, the sensitivity of the user to product parameters is rapidly reduced. A mobile phone distributors, told reporters that two years ago, a user to buy mobile phones, is most concerned about data processor frequency and camera pixels; Now, however, users are more willing to try the game and take photographs, judging the stability of the cell phone, the appraisal results, refer to the user manual purchase products less and less. "Users are more willing to use experience to choose products, rather than the parameters of the cold." The source added.

This, also reflected in the baseband platform. Snapdragon820, for example, the platform's built-in modem X12LTE support up double carrier aggregation and down three carrier aggregation. For now, however, has not yet been covered domestic matching networks, and domestic manufacturers from set out actually, configuration standards maintained in double carrier carrier aggregation level 40 MHZ bandwidth. "Huawei has launched the first support the 12 / Cat13 Balong750 baseband chips (UL) network, but we prefer to mature and available technical configuration to the platform." YiWei said.

Although the core technology and spreadtrum technically not overtake huawei, but the two companies are no longer eager to pursue a pioneer, but stick to dig the low-end market opportunities. Now, with core technology SDR1860 chip red rice 2 a total sales volume has exceeded 10 million, spreadtrum with shipments of 3 g chip market, also become the world's third largest mobile chip platform providers.

Even on the performance, the domestic chip international manufacturers have not lost. According to understand, kirin 950 with 4 x + 4 x A53big A72. LITTLE architecture, as well as a new generation of MaliT880GPU, help its kernel eer increase 11% and 30%, performance and power consumption was reduced by 20%. To improve performance, kirin 950 for the first time to independent research and development of commercial ISP technology, support 14 bit double ISP, 4 times can improve throughput permeance 960 mpixel/s; Double 13 mpixelsensor online, help products are less abundant image information acquisition. Flat number of standards with international manufacturers, some even realize. "Before, the international enterprises to control the market trend, today, the domestic enterprises in the 'shift'." WeiZhong said.

The winner?

At present, 14/16 nm age just starting to set the current information to determine performance and practical between winning or losing is premature. But from the perspective of the attitude of handset makers, they prefer the value of the latter.

A mainstream mobile phone manufacturer representatives said, on schedule, used to browse information on the user is still couldn't keep up with the carrier of meshing speed, and the development of the intelligent terminal products is beyond the progress of the domestic network development, so the backward excess terminal users and performance between effective docking, it is not good news for technology-oriented enterprises.

Starting from the link of cost, the operators also in the promotion of 4 g and 4 g + network, terminal tilting early implementation supports the above 6 web standards will produce waste of resources, the pressure will fall on the user's shoulder. "From the perspective of a Snapdragon820 configuration, the price of the platform should be above $60, pick up the platform of mobile phone will be in 2000 yuan of above. However pay these costs can be converted to the ideal operating experience, it is still hard to speak." WeiZhong said.

At the same time, the sensitivity of the user to product parameters is rapidly reduced. A mobile phone distributors, told reporters that two years ago, a user to buy mobile phones, is most concerned about data processor frequency and camera pixels; Now, however, users are more willing to try the game and take photographs, judging the stability of the cell phone, the appraisal results, refer to the user manual purchase products less and less. "Users are more willing to use experience to choose products, rather than the parameters of the cold." The source added.