10LPP (Low Power Plus), the second generation of Samsung Electronics’ 10-nanometer FinFET process technology has passed all necessary qualifications and is now ready for production, the Seoul-based tech giant announced on Wednesday. Compared to Samsung’s first-generation 10nm process called 10LPE, 10LLP offers identical performance with a 15-percent lower power consumption or can reach 10-percent higher performance without consuming more energy, the company claims. The announcement comes half a year after Samsung started mass-producing its first 10nm system-on-chips (SoCs) using 10LPE technology. While the firm’s in-house Exynos 8895 chips are unlikely to power more than several Galaxy-branded devices that will be released over the course of this year, the SoCs are expected to either outperform all competition or be on par with other high-end chipsets.
While Samsung’s new 10nm process technology can now technically be deployed, it isn’t ready for mass production as the company is still in the process of installing the necessary manufacturing equipment at its latest chip-making factory in Hwaseong, South Korea. The Seoul-based consumer electronics giant said it’s expecting the new S3-line to be ready for mass production by the final quarter of 2017, with industry watchers estimating the production will start by late October or early November. The SoCs manufactured using the 10LPP process are expected to be featured in Samsung’s 2018 flagship products, i.e. the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, and possibly even the rumored Galaxy X handset that’s said to be Samsung’s first attempt at commercializing a foldable smartphone and will reportedly launch at some point next year. While experimental in nature, the company is allegedly looking to commercialize the concept of a bendable phone through a high-end product that’s meant to serve as an alternative to its traditional flagships, industry sources said earlier this year, indicating that Samsung isn’t interested in creating foldable smartphones for niche markets.
The first devices powered by Samsung-made 10nm SoCs — the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus — will officially launch in some markets tomorrow, April 21. The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 that the company recently promised to release in the second half of the year is also expected to ship with the Exynos 8895.