TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed that Qualcomm is teaming up with ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and GigaDevice to craft tailored solutions for smartphones. Specifically, Qualcomm and CXMT are set to commence mass production of customized mobile DRAM in the latter half of 2026, initially catering to Chinese-brand smartphones.
Simultaneously, Qualcomm is collaborating with GigaDevice to create a standalone NPU. This NPU will be outfitted with CXMT's bespoke 4GB 3D DRAM, with shipments anticipated by the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. The primary target market for this NPU is Chinese smartphone brands, with a particular emphasis on models priced above 4,000 yuan.
This NPU is expected to offer around 40 TOPS of computing power, leveraging TSV and hybrid bonding stacking technology. Its memory bandwidth is projected to surpass that of LPDDR5X. Nevertheless, owing to escalating memory prices and the ambiguity surrounding end-side AI application scenarios, market expectations for this project have been adjusted downwards.