Meta and MediaTek have formed an alliance aimed at designing chips dedicated to future AR glasses from the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. A very bad signal sent to Qualcomm, its current supplier.
Who, Apple or Meta, will let Qualcomm down first? In this area, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram could well have a head start. We learn this week fromAndroid Centralthat Meta has teamed up with Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek, one of Qualcomm’s main competitors, to create an “in-house” SoC, tailor-made for its future augmented reality glasses.
This paradigm shift comes as Meta was until now expected to continue using Qualcomm solutions. The serious move upmarket of MediaTek’s chips over the last three years nevertheless seems to have convinced the firm to change its mind.
Meta and MediaTek now hand in hand…
Initially positioned at the entry and mid-range, the Taiwanese group has seriously stepped up its game in recent times, notably with the introduction of its Dimensity 9000 range, which now has little to envy of the best chips from Qualcomm.
In detail, we learn that the “custom” solutions created by MediaTek for Meta will not be offered to other companies. Clearly, Meta will therefore be able to count on its own chips to accompany the AR glasses that it wishes to launch in the medium term.
We also discover that the exclusive partnership concluded between MediaTek and Meta provides for the development of a brand new chip designed not only to deliver solid performance and very low latency, but also and above all to offer excellent energy efficiency. The crux of the matter for a product intended to be worn. Unsurprisingly, said chip must also be compact enough to fit on glasses.
For its next generation of Dimensity 9400 mobile processors, MediaTek should take advantage of TSMC’s 3nm engraving, currently used by Apple for its A17 Pro and M3 processors. It is therefore very possible that this fine engraving will also be used for the future custom chip intended for Meta and its AR glasses.
It remains to be seen what pushed Meta into the arms of MediaTek, after having collaborated for several years with Qualcomm. In this case, the question of the prices charged by the San Diego firm would be central. Rumors suggest, for example, that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be even more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3… which could also push other market players into the arms of MediaTek.