In a latest interview, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon indicated that his agency’s Nuvia core expertise chips would begin sampling with laptop computer makers later than beforehand outlined on roadmaps. Furthermore, Amon began hedging in regards to the launch of client laptops packing these extremely anticipated new chips, shifting expectations from late 2023 into early 2024.
Roger Cheng of CNet interviewed Amon as a part of his Day by day Cost (opens in new tab) podcast collection. In a brief section, beginning at about 8:20, Cheng introduced up the subject of Nuvia expertise. Qualcomm acquired startup Nuvia for a cool $1.4 billion final yr. Amon was effervescent relating to the advances Nuvia will carry to Snapdragon processors addressing the efficiency section. “With the acquisition of Nuvia we’re aiming to have efficiency management on PC on the CPU interval,” said Amon. To be clear, afterward, Amon affirmed that Nuvia chips would combine CPU, GPU and NPU for the efficiency section of the PC laptop computer business.
We reported yesterday that Amon guarantees to ship Arm structure PC chips to outperform the Apple M2, which launched earlier within the week. If you’re within the significance of the Nuvia acquisition to Qualcomm, please verify these hyperlinks.
It’s thrilling that Arm-based PC SoCs doubtlessly superior to Apple M1 and M2 chips are within the works. Qualcomm beforehand made some fairly large claims about its Snapdragon chips for PCs, however even a number of the latest units with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 SoC may solely muster middling efficiency if we’re being well mannered. With this in thoughts, we’re all the time cautious about producer/designer claims versus delivery actuality.
Timing Troubles?
One of many indicators of troubled growth, or design goal efficiency not being nearly as good as take a look at efficiency, is manifested by delays. Delays is perhaps for different legitimate causes, some out of necessity, however delays are unsettling.
Qualcomm execs beforehand mentioned that the agency would pattern its Nuvia core-packing Snapdragon chips to companions round August 2022. Within the new Day by day Cost interview, Amon said Qualcomm will begin “sampling chips to our clients for design subsequent yr.” If he hasn’t misspoken, this can be a delay of at the least 4 months.
Amon gave away some extra info on timescales that tingled our spider senses. “Late subsequent yr / starting of 2024 you will see Home windows PCs powered by Snapdragon with a Nuvia designed CPU,” he instructed Cheng. This assertion is not so decisive a couple of delay, as late 2023 continues to be consistent with earlier statements of units “launching in 2023.” Nonetheless, the hedge of mentioning early 2024 is new, so far as our analysis exhibits. If Qualcomm does not launch early sufficient for the vacations, then early 2024 would make sense for CES 2024 debut.