[Peace&Chips] AI Smartphone 'Brain'... Competition in Mobile Processors

First AI Smartphone Galaxy S24 Unveiled
Mobile AP 'Exynos 2400' Also in Spotlight
Focused R&D on Low Power and Security Features

If we were to pick the major event that the semiconductor industry and the broader industrial sector paid attention to last week, it would undoubtedly be the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S24 Unpack. This was the day the new flagship smartphone in the Galaxy S series, which Samsung Electronics unveils every early year, was revealed for the first time.

The newly unveiled product was the Galaxy S24 series, and because it supports various artificial intelligence (AI) features, it attracted significant interest not only from industry insiders but also from general consumers. Features like real-time two-way translation during calls and instant translation of text messages received in English naturally caught people's attention.

The market expects that starting with the Galaxy S24 series, the number of AI smartphones will rapidly increase. In particular, ‘on-device AI’ smartphones, which run AI internally without network connection, are expected to stand out.

Market research firms Counterpoint Research and KB Securities forecast that sales of on-device AI smartphones will surge from 47 million units this year to 522 million units by 2027, showing an average annual growth rate of 83%. The penetration rate of on-device AI phones is also expected to jump tenfold from 4% to 40%.

For general smartphones to evolve continuously into AI phones, various technological advancements will be necessary. Among smartphone components, the ‘mobile application processor (AP)’ plays a key role, and it faces significant technical challenges.

The mobile AP is a system-on-chip (SoC) that integrates the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), DRAM, modem, image signal processor (ISP), and more. Simply put, it can be understood as the brain of the smartphone. The smartphone’s performance varies greatly depending on which mobile AP is used. Because of this, consumers interested in smartphones often pay close attention to which mobile AP is installed in a product.

Samsung Electronics' new mobile application processor (AP) 'Exynos 2400' /
[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

The semiconductor industry anticipates that three development factors will be crucial in future mobile AP development: ▲performance ▲low power consumption ▲security. They need to enhance performance to process more data quickly, develop low-power technologies to reduce battery consumption and device heat generated in the process, and upgrade security technologies to prevent personal information exposure during AI service usage.

Samsung Electronics equipped its new mobile AP product, the ‘Exynos 2400,’ in the Galaxy S24 series. Compared to its predecessor (Exynos 2200), it improved CPU, GPU, and AI performance. Samsung Electronics introduced advanced packaging technology (FOWLP) for the first time in its mobile AP to optimize device power efficiency. Additionally, it included a high-performance ISP supporting up to 320 million pixels to enhance smartphone user convenience. Since the previous model struggled with heat issues, this time they have made determined efforts. Naturally, market expectations for performance are high.

A semiconductor industry insider said, "The functions that will be included in future on-device AI phones may vary depending on technological development," but added, "Nevertheless, since the mobile AP is a core product that enables various convenience features to come, rapid technological development will continue, and competition in the industry will become even more active."

Editor's NoteSemiconductors, called the rice of modern industry. Although it is a term we hear every day, it is often hard to explain. Peace & Chips will make the complex concepts of semiconductors and the overall industry flow easy to digest. Just place your spoon and enjoy.