Right now, a lot of AI-based queries are sent to the cloud for processing. For the most part, it’s fine. But in terms of privacy and speed, obviously on-device AI would be preferred. The good news is that could happen, at least for the Samsung Exynos 2800, which could be better at supporting on-device AI.
Exynos 2800 could be better at handling on-device AI
According to a report from Korean publication ETNews, Samsung is developing next-gen HBM packaging to support on-device AI, possibly for the Exynos 2800. If Samsung can pull that off, they could be the first company to support HBM on mobile devices.
But why HBM? Right now, one of the bottlenecks of on-device AI is memory bandwidth. This effectively determines how fast you can feed data to the chip, so the higher the bandwidth, the faster the model responds. Right now, on-device is supported on mobile devices, but in a limited capacity. By using HBM, it could unlock more of an AI model’s full potential.
HBM differs from traditional DRAM, which uses copper wire bonding. However, it is limited to 128-256 I/O terminals, which causes signal loss and isn’t as efficient. The report suggests that Samsung is trying to find a way around it by using ultra-high aspect ratio copper pillars combined with its Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging. Then, together with a technique called “Vertical Copper Post Stack,” Samsung will stack DRAM dies in a staircase-like configuration with copper pillars. This should, in theory, boost bandwidth significantly.
Good for Samsung in more ways than one
Obviously being the first to introduce HBM support on mobile devices would be good marketing material for Samsung. However, there are other benefits. Samsung manufactures memory, so if it can come up with a way to support HBM on mobile, orders for its memory could increase.
It could also potentially alleviate the memory crisis we’re facing now. Currently, due to demand for AI, more memory makers are shifting focus to HBM. If Samsung achieves this with the Exynos 2800, other companies could adopt a similar design and, in turn, make use of the HBMs that are currently produced.
Unfortunately, we won’t see this tech in action for a while. 2027 is expected to bring about the Exynos 2700. This means we’ll have to wait until 2028 for the Exynos 2800. Even then, we’re assuming that Samsung has it all figured out in the next couple of years.
