New breakthroughs in the chip manufacturing process have accelerated the reshuffle of the mobile phone industry
The manufacturing process of semiconductor chips has always been a hot topic in the technology industry, because it directly determines the performance and power consumption performance of the chip. Recently, ASML, the world's leading lithography machine manufacturer, caused an uproar in the industry when it delivered its latest 2nm EUV lithography machine.
The Twinscan EXE:5200 lithography machine uses a 0.55 numerical aperture lens, which has a significant increase in resolution compared to the previous 0.33NA. It can be used to manufacture 2nm and more advanced chips, opening a new milestone in the chip manufacturing process. It's not easy to master this cutting-edge technology, because each Twinscan EXE:5200 costs up to 300 million euros, or about 2.15 billion yuan!
So far, Intel has pre-ordered six of these lithography machines, becoming one of the first companies to receive deliveries. In China, Huawei is also actively deploying and striving to master 2nm chip manufacturing capabilities. According to reports, Huawei's latest Xingyao mobile phone brand, the first Xingyao E1 mobile phone, is equipped with its self-developed Kirin 7000 chip.
To achieve mass production and manufacturing of 2nm chips, it is not achieved overnight, and a lot of money and manpower need to be invested. For Huawei, which has been sanctioned, obtaining ASML's 2nm lithography machine is undoubtedly a big challenge. However, judging from Huawei's previous "self-reliance" performance, they may not give up the pursuit of chip process breakthroughs.
As new products continue to be launched, the prices of some former flagship mobile phones have fallen off a cliff. For example, OnePlus Ace 2 is only 51 yuan on an e-commerce platform, and Huawei P50 has fallen to a "beggar price" of 181 yuan. This undoubtedly brings benefits to consumers, but it also reflects the cruelty of competition in the mobile phone industry and the rapid upgrading.
The chip manufacturing process determines the performance of mobile phones, and the 2nm era is coming
The smaller the process, the stronger the computing power of the chip, and the lower the power consumption. Both mobile phone manufacturers and chip manufacturers are desperately pursuing smaller process technology.
Taking the current mainstream 5nm process as an example, compared with the previous generation of 7nm process, the transistor density of 5nm chips has been increased by 87%, the power consumption has been reduced by 30%, and the performance has been increased by 20%. This directly leads to the effect that the phone runs faster and is more power-efficient.
ASML's new delivery of 2nm EUV lithography machine will make another leap in chip manufacturing technology. The transistor density of a 2nm chip will be four times that of 5nm, and the performance will be greatly improved again. It is said that the computing power of the 2nm chip will exceed that of the human brain, which can support mobile phones to achieve real artificial intelligence.
However, the road to mass production of the 2nm process is not smooth. The manufacturing cost is very high, and a single 2nm lithography machine costs 2.1 billion yuan. The technical challenges are unprecedented, and many process and material challenges need to be addressed.
To achieve mass production of 2nm chips, it is necessary to invest a lot of money and manpower. For Huawei, which has been sanctioned, obtaining ASML's 2nm lithography machine is undoubtedly a big challenge. However, judging from Huawei's previous "self-reliance" performance, they may not give up the pursuit of chip process breakthroughs.
With the continuous introduction of new products, the prices of some former flagship mobile phones have fallen off a cliff, bringing benefits to consumers. But this also reflects the brutality of competition in the mobile phone industry and the rapid upgrading, mobile phone manufacturers must continue to innovate in order to survive in this technological revolution.
The chip war has escalated, and mobile phone manufacturers are facing a huge test
The advent of the 2nm chip era will undoubtedly intensify the competition in the mobile phone industry. Manufacturers who have mastered advanced process technology will have obvious advantages in chip performance and power consumption, and will be able to launch more powerful and power-efficient mobile phone products.
Mobile phone manufacturers that lag behind the 2nm process will face the risk of being pulled apart. Their mobile phones will gradually fall behind in terms of performance and navigation, and it will be difficult to meet the increasing needs of consumers.
The 2nm chip war is about to break out, and mobile phone manufacturers will have to do their best in this battle. Those companies that have the strength to master the 2nm process will dominate the mobile phone market for years to come.
Taking Apple and Samsung as examples, they are expected to become the pioneers of 2nm chips with their strong financial strength and long-term chip investment. For a sanctioned company like Huawei, it will be a challenge to acquire ASML's 2nm lithography machine, but judging from their previous "self-reliance" performance, they may not give up.
In addition to the traditional mobile phone giants, some emerging companies and Internet technology giants are also joining the battle. For example, Intel, Apple's good friend, has booked six 2nm lithography machines, which are expected to make breakthroughs in the field of PC and server chips.
On the other hand, with the continuous launch of new products, the prices of some former flagship mobile phones have fallen off a cliff, bringing benefits to consumers. But this also reflects the brutality of competition in the mobile phone industry and the rapid upgrading, mobile phone manufacturers must continue to innovate in order to survive in this technological revolution.
The advent of the 2nm chip era will bring a huge reshuffle to the mobile phone industry. Those companies that have mastered advanced process technology will dominate, while those who lag behind will face the risk of being eliminated. This chip war will determine the future pattern of the mobile phone industry.