Hardware Podcasts

Episode 34: A Semiconductor Hash - Apple A17 Pro, Arm IPO, Huawei Kirin 9000, China's ambitions

The Circuit · 18 Sept 2023 · 40m · Episode 36

What this episode covers

Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the recent IPO of Arm, the technical specifications and strategic implications of Apple's A17 Pro chip, and the geopolitical significance of Huawei's Kirin 9000 chip manufactured by SMIC. They analyze how US sanctions have forced Chinese companies like Huawei to develop domestic semiconductor capabilities, questioning the long-term effectiveness of those restrictions. The hosts also cover Apple's extended modem supply agreement with Qualcomm and the potential for Apple to enter the handheld gaming market.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Arm, Apple, Huawei, SMIC, Qualcomm, TSMC, Intel, NVIDIA, ASML, Skyworks, Corvo, TI, NXP, ST Micro, SemiAnalysis
Chips
A17 Pro, Kirin 9000
Also
Dylan Patel, Jordan Schneider, Douglas Laughlin

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • EE Times Current · 32m

    Seismology 1: Nvidia & Arm | Seismology 2: US IC Manufacturing on the Rebound

    Kevin Krewell of Tirias Research discusses the potential acquisition of Arm by Nvidia, analyzing executive connections and the strategic implications for Arm's licensees like Qualcomm and Apple. Dan Hutcheson of VLSI Research, James Lewis of CSIS, and Jeff Rittener of Intel discuss US legislation to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, highlighting Intel's need for grants to compete with lower-cost Asian production and the geopolitical focus on TSMC and SMIC.

    Policy, trade & tariffsChips, FPGAs & semiconductors
    7 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 38m

    AI Chip Revelations | A Corporate Soap Opera | The Sounds of a Pandemic

    EE Times editors discuss the corporate turmoil at Imagination Technologies, where CEO Ron Black was removed following a dispute with Chinese-backed owner Canyon Bridge over board control and IP security. Analyst Kevin Krewell reports on the Spring Linley Conference, highlighting new AI chip architectures from Groq, Cerebras, and Flex Logi, while noting that software complexity remains the primary challenge. The episode concludes with a global audio essay, 'The Sounds of the Pandemic,' featuring personal accounts of life during lockdown from Italy, Taiwan, the UK, France, and China.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPolicy, trade & tariffs
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    Bonkers Birthday Badinage

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell celebrate the 100th episode of The Amp Hour, discussing the show's growth to 5,000 listeners and the launch of a new discussion server based on the Hacker News engine. They analyze the semiconductor industry, noting TSMC's $8-10 billion investment in a 450mm wafer fab and Intel's dismissal of ARM as a competitor. The episode also covers practical engineering topics, including the use of gallium nitride (GaN) FETs, the TI LM5113 driver, and the feasibility of sourcing cheap Chinese electronics components for product design.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPCB design & layout
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 07m

    For a couple weeks there...

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the current state of the semiconductor industry, including Michael Burry's bearish bet on the sector and the impact of Chinese export controls on gallium and germanium. They analyze the layoffs at RISC-V startup SiFive and the acquisition of Future Electronics by W&T Microelectronics, while also covering the technical details of WS2812 LED controllers and the regulatory fraud surrounding the nuclear diamond battery.

    Sourcing & supply chainChips, FPGAs & semiconductors
    9 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 32m

    Smartphones, China, Gaming, AR — and a Snapdragon to Rule Them All

    Junko Yoshida, Jim McGregor, and Kevin Crewell discuss Qualcomm's Snapdragon Tech Summit announcements, focusing on the disaggregated Snapdragon 865 platform, the new XR2 platform for standalone VR, and a partnership with Google to digitize official documents like driver's licenses. Li Feng Shao provides analysis on the Chinese market, noting the surprise at the 865's 7nm process node and Qualcomm's strategic role in helping Chinese OEMs like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo expand globally. The episode also covers the broader implications of 5G adoption, mobile gaming enhancements, and the geopolitical context of Qualcomm's supply chain and trade relationships.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsWireless & RF
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Circuit. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.