MediaTek Announces First Chipset Built on TSMC's 3nm Process With Performance, Efficiency Improvements: Details

MediaTek on Thursday announced that it had developed its first chipset that is based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 3nm process. The company's flagship Dimensity chipset that is set to launch next year with notable improvements in performance and efficiency over current-generation chipsets. The company is yet to reveal which brands it will work with to integrate the new processor. Rivals Apple and Qualcomm are also said to be working on launching chips with the cutting-edge chip technology.

The chipmaker announced in a press statement that it had successfully built its first 3nm chipset based on TSMC's advanced 3nm technology. The Taiwan-based firm also stated that its 3nm MediaTek chips will debut on smartphones, tablets, smart cars, and other devices in H2 2024. According to previous reports, Qualcomm is planning to launch a 3nm chipset this year that could arrive at its annual Snapdragon Summit event.

The company also shared details of the performance and efficiency benefits of using TSMC's 3nm process to create its latest chipset. MediaTek has touted an increase of 18 percent in terms of performance and speed, or up to 32 percent reduced power usage at the same speed, when compared with TSMC's N5 process. Meanwhile, there is a 60 percent increase in logic density compared with the older chip technology, according to MediaTek.

As the size of smartphone chips get smaller, the technology involved in their development increases in complexity while production becomes more expensive. TSMC began production of advanced 3nm chips in December 2022. MediaTek's upcoming chipset will be part of its higher-end Dimensity mobile processors and is likely to power flagship smartphones that will arrive in the second half of 2024. 

However, it is unlikely that MediaTek's new 3nm chipset will be the first to feature on a flagship phone — Apple was the first company to work with TSMC to build its next generation 3nm chipset and it is expected to power two of its upcoming smartphones — the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are said to be equipped with last year's flagship A16 Bionic chip.