This year’s event, attended by more than 800 customers and partners, featured presentations from Samsung’s Memory and System LSI business leaders — including Jung-bae Lee, President and Head of Memory Business; Yong-In Park, President and Head of System LSI Business; and Jaeheon Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of Device Solutions (DS) Americas Office — on the company’s latest advancements and its vision for the future.

System LSI Business Highlights

In the morning session of this year’s Tech Day, the System LSI Business emphasized its goal of becoming a ‘total solution fabless’ through maximizing the synergy between its unique and wide-range product lineup. As Samsung Electronics’ fabless IC design house, the System LSI Business currently offers around 900 products, which include SoC (System on Chip), image sensor, modem, display driver IC (DDI), power management IC (PMIC) and security solutions.

The System LSI Business not only makes leading individual products, but is also a total solution provider that can merge the various logic technologies into one platform, in order to deliver optimized solutions to customers.

“In an age that requires machines to learn and think as people do, the importance of logic chips, which play the roles of the brain, heart, nervous system and eyes, is growing to unprecedented levels,” said Yong-In Park, President and Head of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will converge and combine its technology embedded in various products like SoC, sensor, DDI and modem, in order to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a total solution provider.”

▲ Yong-In Park, President and Head of System LSI Business, is giving his keynote speech at Samsung Tech Day 2022.

A Vision of Chips With Human-Like Performance

The Fourth Industrial Revolution was a key theme in System LSI’s Tech Day sessions. The System LSI Business’ logic chips are crucial physical foundations of Hyper-Intelligence, Hyper-Connectivity and Hyper-Data, which are the key areas of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Samsung Electronics aims to enhance the performance of these chips to a level at which they can carry out human tasks just as well as people can.

With this vision in mind, the System LSI Business is focusing on improving the performance of its essential IP like NPU (Neural Processing Unit) and modem, as well as innovating CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) technology by collaborating with global industry leading companies.

The System LSI Business is also continuing its work on ultra-high resolution image sensors so that its chips can capture images as the human eye does, and also has plans for sensors that can play the role of all five of the human senses.

Next-Generation Logic Chips Showcased

Samsung Electronics revealed a number of advanced logic chip technology for the first time at the Tech Day booth, including 5G Exynos Modem 5300, Exynos Auto V920 and QD OLED DDI, which are essential parts of various industries such as mobile, home appliance and automotive.

Chips that were newly released or announced this year including the premium mobile processor Exynos 2200 were also on display, along with the 200MP ISOCELL HP3 — the image sensor with the industry’s smallest 0.56-micrometer (μm)-pixels. Built on the most advanced 4-nanometer (nm) EUV (extreme ultraviolet lithography) process and combined with cutting-edge mobile, GPU and NPU technology, the Exynos 2200 provides the finest experience for smartphone users. The ISOCELL HP3, with a 12 percent smaller pixel size than the predecessor’s 0.64μm, can enable an approximately 20 percent reduction in camera module surface area, allowing smartphone manufacturers to keep their premium devices slim.

Samsung showcased its ISOCELL HP3 in action by showing the attendees of Tech Day the picture quality of photographs taken with a 200MP sensor camera, as well as demonstrating the workings of System LSI’s fingerprint security IC for biometric payment cards that combines a fingerprint sensor, Secure Element (SE) and Secure Processor, adding an extra layer of authentication and security in payment cards.

Memory Business Highlights

In a year marking 30 years and 20 years of leadership in DRAM and NAND flash memory respectively, Samsung unveiled its fifth-generation 10nm-class (1b) DRAM as well as eighth- and ninth-generation Vertical NAND (V-NAND), affirming the company’s commitment to continue providing the most powerful combination of memory technologies over the next decade.

Samsung also emphasized how the company will demonstrate greater resilience through collaborative partnerships in the face of new industry challenges.

“One trillion gigabytes is the total amount of memory Samsung has made since its beginning over 40 years ago. About half of that trillion was produced in the last three years alone, indicating just how fast digital transformation is progressing,” said Jung-bae Lee, President and Head of Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. “As advances in memory bandwidth, capacity and power efficiency enable new platforms and these, in turn, stimulate more semiconductor innovations, we will increasingly push for a higher level of integration on the journey toward digital coevolution.”

▲ Jung-bae Lee, President and Head of Memory Business, is giving his keynote speech at Samsung Tech Day 2022.

DRAM Solutions to Advance Data Intelligence

Samsung’s 1b DRAM is currently under development with plans for mass production in 2023. To overcome challenges in DRAM scaling beyond the 10nm range, the company has been developing disruptive solutions in patterning, materials and architecture, with technology like High-K material well underway.

The company then highlighted upcoming DRAM solutions such as 32Gb DDR5 DRAM, 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X DRAM and 36Gbps GDDR7 DRAM that will bring new capabilities to data center, HPC, mobile, gaming and automotive market segments.

Expanding beyond conventional DRAM, Samsung also underscored the importance of tailored DRAM solutions such as HBM-PIM, AXDIMM and CXL that can fuel system-level innovation in better handling the explosive growth of data worldwide.

1,000+ V-NAND Layers by 2030

Since its inception a decade ago, Samsung’s V-NAND technology has progressed through eight generations, bringing 10 times the layer count and 15 times the bit growth. Samsung’s most recent, 512Gb eighth-generation V-NAND features a bit density improvement of 42%, attaining the industry’s highest bit density among 512Gb triple-level cell (TLC) memory products to date. The world’s highest capacity 1Tb TLC V-NAND will be available to customers by the end of the year.

The company also noted that its ninth-generation V-NAND is under development and slated for mass production in 2024. By 2030, Samsung envisions stacking over 1,000 layers to better enable data-intensive technologies of the future.

As AI and big data applications drive the need for faster and higher-capacity memory, Samsung will continue to leapfrog bit density by accelerating the transition to quad-level cell (QLC), while further enhancing power efficiency in support of more sustainable customer operations worldwide.

More Far-Reaching Solutions Amidst Greater Collaboration

Samsung introduced an extensive portfolio of storage solutions spanning data center, enterprise server, mobile, client, consumer and automotive applications. The company highlighted its high-performance, low-power computational storage optimized for AI and how it can contribute to eco-conscious computing. Samsung also presented a new DRAM-less SSD, the PM9C1a, which supports both PCIe 4.0 and 5.0.

Samsung then shared aggressive plans to lead the industry in intelligent mobility solutions. The company discussed its wide-ranging memory offerings designed for every modern automotive function, from in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver assisted systems (ADAS), clusters and gateways to telematics. Since entering the automotive memory market in 2015, Samsung has been rapidly growing its market presence with the intent of becoming the largest automotive memory provider by 2025.

Reaffirming its overriding goals of enhancing customer value and pursuing a customer-oriented development philosophy, Samsung stressed its intent to further expand its ecosystem partnerships. To stimulate more widespread open innovation, Samsung revealed a key element of its blueprint for greater customer collaboration. The company will open a Samsung Memory Research Center (SMRC) where customers and partners can test and verify Samsung memory and software solutions in various server environments. Beginning with the opening of its first SMRC in Korea in the fourth quarter of this year, Samsung plans to later launch additional hubs in the U.S. and around the world, in collaboration with ecosystem partners like Red Hat and Google Cloud.

Equipped With a Brain That Surpasses Computers: Strengthening Cooperation With for CPU

In this second series installment, Samsung Newsroom sat down with two project leaders at Samsung Electronics to better understand the role of CPU and NPU in mobile devices. A computer’s central processing unit (CPU) is often compared to the human cerebrum, the largest part of your brain that handles many responsibilities. Similarly, the CPU is the most important unit that deals with a computer’s four main functions, which are memory, decoding, operation and control. CPU is the factor that determines the overall performance of a PC. Likewise, a mobile CPU runs all software on an operating system (OS) and controls other hardware peripherals, helping a smartphone perform at its optimal level.

CPU performance is determined by a variety of factors, including the clock speed,¹ IPC² and the number of cores.³ The phones of the past were powered by a single-core CPI with a simple pipeline structure. Consequently, there were limits in handling parallel processing, and the maximum frequency only amounted to a few hundred MHz. However, the CPU in smartphones today has a superscalar⁴ structure, allowing it to execute parallel processing for various commands or instructions. Additionally, it can run at 3 GHz speed, or 3 billion cycles per second, and have eight or more multi-core structures. Mobile CPUs now have a microarchitecture that pushes the performance beyond desktop CPUs.

Exynos’ CPU has evolved from a big core to a big-little and then a big-mid-little structure to keep its size small and power consumption low. Big-little structure is a processing architecture concept that dynamically switches between two types of cores — a big and a little — to maximize performance or maximize power efficiency, depending on the task. For example, the CPU performance needed for texting versus playing a 3D game is different. Therefore, when sending a text, the process uses a smaller, power-efficient core instead of a high-performing core.

▲ Project Leader Wookyeong Jeong has worked in the CPU field for more than 20 years since joining Samsung.

“CPU determines the competitiveness of all systems, including the SoC. It’s an influential area and the top priority when it comes to developing advanced semiconductor technology,” said Wookyeong Jeong, the SoC Design Team 2’s project leader who is in charge of all tasks related to the Exynos’ CPU. Jeong has worked in the CPU field for more than 20 years since joining Samsung.

“Achieving a high performance with a limited power budget is key,” said Jeong. “It is important to operate different types of CPU cores, including big, mid and little in appropriate combinations to achieve maximum efficiency in various situations.” Exynos’ CPU optimizes a combination of activated cores to deliver users the best experience in situations requiring high performance, such as playing a game or using a camera on mobile devices.

▲ CPU Core Structure of Exynos 2200

Based on the IP of semiconductor design company Arm, Samsung Electronics is taking the performance of CPUs up a notch. When Jeong was asked about the specific tasks of the team’s developers, he explained the team’s role and responsibilities.

“We decide the performance goal for the CPU of a product, acquire the CPU IP, predict and review the performance, validate and conduct debugging⁵ before mass production and further steps. We take care of the overall development work to enhance CPU performance,” Jeong explained. “The System LSI Business is responsible for taking the RTL CPU design from Arm to create an optimal semiconductor chip,” Jeong said. “The team is also responsible for designing and creating the CPU peripheral circuit, such as an appropriate memory subsystem, for maximizing CPU performance.”

“With the adoption of Arm CPU, we have a vision of becoming the mobile industry’s best CPU manufacturer by optimizing software not only on a chip level but also on a device level. We aim to become an E2E⁶ total solution provider,” said Jeong when asked about the future development direction of the company. “To achieve this goal, the CPU developers have been working very closely with Arm, device manufacturers, Samsung Foundry and others as one team since the early development stages. In addition, they’re seeking various ways to enhance performance, such as advanced packaging technology that enhances performance further,” Jeong explained.

“With the emergence of AR and the metaverse, appropriately utilizing all processors, such as CPU, GPU and NPU for comprehensive machine learning processing on a SoC level would give us an important, competitive edge. We’re going to focus on increasing our competitiveness by strengthening the CPU’s performance in machine learning processing as well,” Jeong added.

Real, Imaginative Technology: The Advancement of NPU Based on Proprietary Technology Throughout Six Generations

An NPU is a processor optimized for deep learning⁷ algorithm arithmetic. It can process a large amount of data as fast and efficiently as the human neural network. For such reason, it is mainly used for AI arithmetic and computation. While it may seem complicated, it is already commonly used in devices. For example, thanks to NPU, a smartphone’s camera can recognize and focus based on the objects, environment and people in the frame. It can automatically switch on the food filter mode for food photography or even remove unwanted subjects in the picture.

▲ AI Remover function within new smartphone improved as NPU developed.

In the past, when NPU did not exist, GPU mainly performed AI computation. However, the computation efficiency⁸ was low due to the hardware’s structural differences. These days, the NPU is mainly in charge of AI computation, and it can process data more efficiently in mobile devices as well. It’s optimized for parallel data computing so that AI-based applications can run faster on low power.

▲ Project Leader Suknam Kwon, who has been working on the NPU since its second generation, now leads the NPU developers.

Exynos’ NPU development began in 2016. The first SoC equipped with the NPU was Exynos 9820, which was embedded in the Galaxy S10 that was released in 2019. “When the first task force was formed six years ago, we had only about 20 people, but now our team has grown tenfold if we include the members from our overseas research institutes,” said project leader Suknam Kwon. Kwon used to design the hardware of the SoC and has been working on the NPU since its second generation. “The NPU is an area of high interest these days, but back then, it was so unfamiliar and new that we had to learn from videos and university lectures overseas.”

In the past, there were few applications for the NPU, including detecting objects based on images. However, in the era of AI, market demand for high-performing IP requiring a large amount of computation is increasing. This can be used to perform tasks such as improving camera picture quality, voice services and more. In addition, since size and power consumption increase as IP performance is enhanced, determining the most efficient architecture is key.

▲ AI using cloud servers compared to On-device AI

As NPU gets more powerful, it offers improvements in object recognition speed or photo enhancement. The performance of the NPU equipped in the latest Exynos is two times more enhanced compared to previous generation. By independently developing the NPU for six product generations, the SoC Design team’s expertise and know-how in NPU technology is second to none. “With advantages in benchmark such as the ML Per, power efficiency, size, etc., Exynos’ NPU is a highly competitive IP solution,” Kwon said. “Through optimization of architecture for performance and improvements in power efficiency, the NPU adds competitive value for Exynos processor,” he said.

Going forward, the technologies that utilize NPU will continue to evolve. “I think the on-device AI, which performs AI computation in one’s smartphone rather than going through a server, will become more widely used because there is less risk of having sensitive personal information leaked,” Kwon said. “Because of this, mobile NPU performance needs to be even more enhanced. These days, one NPU is used for many computations, but I predict that there will be more demands for operating specialized AI algorithms for each application program. So, developing an NPU that is specialized for each domain will be important as well,” he added.

When asked about autonomous driving, Kwon discussed the role that NPU will play in the industry. “In the near future, the advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) will become a reality,” Kwon said. “It requires hardware that can perform autonomous driving algorithms using a massive amount of data in real time. To accomplish this, a higher-performing NPU is needed, and Samsung is preparing an NPU with powerful capabilities for autonomous driving devices that meet the market’s demands.”

At the end of the interview, Kwon explained the most meaningful moment that occurred during development. “Each year, Exynos comes with a higher-performing NPU that is increasingly enhanced, which is very meaningful,” he said. “It will continue to become a key IP for future markets. I take a lot of pride in the fact that developing NPU has led to the growth of both myself and the company — and even contributes to the country’s overall competitiveness,” he said. “It’s the best field where it makes the things in one’s imagination come true.”

* All images shown are provided for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product or images captured with the product. All images are digitally edited, modified or enhanced.

¹ Clock: Continuously generates electric oscillation of 0 or 1 for computation. It’s expressed in Hz, and a higher clock figure means a faster processing speed.

² IPC (Instructions per Cycle): Instructions processed per clock. It measures the clock needed to process one command or instruction. IPC is the unit that assesses how efficiently a CPU is operating.

³ Core: The key part in the physical processing circuit within the CPU. The more cores there are, the easier it is to perform multiple actions at the same time. Single-core means there’s one core, dual-core means there are two, quad-core means there are four and so on.

⁴ Superscalar: An architecture that combines the advantages of pipeline and parallel processing and enables instructions from multiple pipelines to be processed in parallel. The processing speed is fast because multiple instructions can be executed at the same time without having to go through waiting status first. 

⁵ Debugging: A process of checking whether the designed program is accurate, identifying program errors and fixing them.

⁶ End to End

⁷ Deep Learning: Technology that enables a machine to learn, infer and reason like human beings using data.

⁸ In mobile SoC, efficiency means it uses less power or has faster speeds.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced at its Samsung Tech Day 2019 two silicon products specifically tailored for future mobile devices that will make intensive use of video and artificial intelligence (AI) applications as well as 5G communications.

Both the Exynos 990 premium mobile processor and ultra-fast next-generation 5G Exynos Modem 5123 harness the most advanced 7-nanometer (nm) process technology using extreme ultra-violet (EUV) to provide unprecedented performance and accelerated product development options for mobile manufacturers.

“Milestones in technological advancements are imminent all around us. Mobile 5G technology is opening new avenues for communication and connection, while AI is poised to become an everyday tool for people worldwide,” noted Inyup Kang, president of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s Exynos 990 and Exynos Modem 5123 are perfectly adapted for high-volume 5G and AI applications, and are designed to help the world’s most ambitious enterprises, large and small, achieve their goals of bringing new capabilities to their markets .”

New levels of mobile gaming and other graphics-intensive operations are enabled by the Exynos 990’s inclusion of an embedded Arm Mali-G77 GPU, the first premium GPU based on the new Valhall architecture, which improves graphic performance or power efficiency by up to 20 percent. This comes in addition to an overall 20-percent performance boost from an extremely powerful and flexible tri-cluster CPU structure that consists of two powerful custom cores, two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores.

The Exynos 990 also makes on-device AI practical and useful, with a top-class dual-core neural processing unit (NPU) and improved digital signal processor (DSP) that can perform over ten-trillion operations (TOPs) per second.

The NPU enables localized AI in a smartphone or other mobile platform, allowing data to be processed on-device, rather than going through a network and a server, for added efficiency and security. This can also help enhance AI features such as facial recognition and scene detection for richer mobile experiences.

Next-generation mobile connectivity needs are addressed by the 5G Exynos Modem 5123, one of the first 5G modem chips manufactured using a 7nm EUV process. It supports virtually all networks, from 5G’s sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrums to 2G GSM/CDMA, 3G WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA and 4G LTE, with outstanding downlink speed across the board.  In 5G, with up to 8-carrier aggregation (8CA), the modem delivers a maximum downlink speed of up to 5.1-gigabits per second (Gbps) in sub-6-gigahertz (GHz) and 7.35Gbps in mmWave, or up to 3.0Gbps in 4G networks by supporting higher-order 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM).

The Exynos 990 complements these modem speeds with a very wide memory bandwidth that supports LPDDR5 data rates of up to 5,500 megabits per second (Mb/s). The processor also features a 120Hz refresh-rate display driver, which makes games come alive by reducing screen tearing and enabling smoother animations even on devices with multiple displays, such as foldable phones. Also on board is an advanced image signal processor (ISP) that supports up to six individual image sensors with concurrent processing of three; this enables pro-grade photography, with resolution up to 108-megapixels.

The Exynos 990 and Exynos Modem 5123 are expected to begin mass production by the end of this year.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced its latest mobile processor, the Exynos 980, which combines the best-in-class connectivity with an integrated 5G modem and intelligent processing performance in a single chip.

“With the introduction of our 5G modem last year, Samsung has been driving in the 5G revolution and paved the way towards the next step in mobility,” said Ben Hur, senior vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “With the 5G-integrated Exynos 980, Samsung is pushing to make 5G more accessible to a wider range of users and continues to lead innovation in the mobile 5G market.”

Based on advanced 8-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology, the Exynos 980 is Samsung’s first artificial intelligence (AI) mobile processor with an integrated 5G modem. Rather than being coupled with a separate 5G modem, the 5G-enabled Exynos 980 not only helps reduce power consumption but also increase the space efficiency within a device. The new mobile processor’s powerful modem supports 5G to 2G networks, providing a fast gigabit downlink speed in 4G LTE and up to 2.55-gigabits per seconds (Gbps) in sub-6-gigahertz (GHz) 5G. The modem also supports E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), which combines 5CC LTE and 5G connectivity to maximize mobile downlink speed of up to 3.55Gbps. In addition, the processor supports a new Wi-Fi 6 standard, IEEE 802.11ax, that provides faster speed and greater stability for seamless online gaming and smooth high-resolution video streaming over Wi-Fi networks.

With powerful CPU and GPU on board, the Exynos 980 can run multiple apps, intricate UX designs and high-resolution graphic games effortlessly. Packing two of the latest high-performance Cortex-A77 CPU cores and six efficient Cortex-A55 cores, the Exynos 980 can deliver the fast and complex computing power required in the 5G era. For realistic gaming and immersive mixed-reality experiences, the processor also comes with the top-of-the-line Mali-G76 GPU.

The neural processing unit (NPU) features elevated performances of up to 2.7 times compared to its predecessor and is built into the Exynos 980 to provide new levels of on-device intelligence. With the NPU readily available on-chip, AI tasks are processed right from the device rather than off-loaded to a server, thereby providing better data privacy and security. The NPU adds enhancements to applications such as secure user authentication, content filtering, mixed reality, intelligent camera, and more.

For advanced photography, the Exynos 980 delivers compelling camera performances with resolution support for up to 108-megapixels (Mp). The advanced image signal processor (ISP) supports up to five individual sensors and is able to process three concurrently for richer multi-camera experiences. Along with the NPU, the AI-powered camera is able to detect and understand scenes or objects, according to which the camera will then make optimal adjustments to its settings.

For an immersive multimedia experience, the Exynos 980’s multi-format codec (MFC) supports encoding and decoding of 4K UHD video at 120 frames per second (fps). HDR10+ support with dynamic mapping also offers more detailed and illuminant colors in video content.

The Exynos 980 is expected to begin mass production by the end of this year.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos

Samsung Electronics last month announced its goal to strengthen its leadership in the global system semiconductor industry by 2030 through expanding its proprietary NPU technology development. The company recently delivered an update to this goal at the conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), one of the top academic conferences in computer vision fields.

This update is the company’s development of its On-Device AI lightweight algorithm, introduced at CVPR with a paper titled “Learning to Quantize Deep Networks by Optimizing Quantization Intervals With Task Loss”. On-Device AI technologies directly compute and process data from within the device itself. Over 4 times lighter and 8 times faster than existing algorithms, Samsung’s latest algorithm solution is dramatically improved from previous solutions and has been evaluated to be key to solving potential issues for low-power, high-speed computations.

Streamlining the Deep Learning Process

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has announced that they have successfully developed On-Device AI lightweight technology that performs computations 8 times faster than the existing 32-bit deep learning data for servers. By adjusting the data into groups of under 4 bits while maintaining accurate data recognition, this method of deep learning algorithm processing is simultaneously much faster and much more energy efficient than existing solutions.

Samsung’s new On-Device AI processing technology determines the intervals of the significant data that influence overall deep learning performance through ‘learning’. This ‘Quantization¹ Interval Learning (QIL)’ retains data accuracy by re-organizing the data to be presented in bits smaller than their existing size. SAIT ran experiments that successfully demonstrated how the quantization of an in-server deep learning algorithm in 32 bit intervals provided higher accuracy than other existing solutions when computed into levels of less than 4 bits.

When the data of a deep learning computation is presented in bit groups lower than 4 bits, computations of ‘and’ and ‘or’ are allowed, on top of the simpler arithmetic calculations of addition and multiplication. This means that the computation results using the QIL process can achieve the same results as existing processes can while using 1/40 to 1/120 fewer transistors².

As this system therefore requires less hardware and less electricity, it can be mounted directly in-device at the place where the data for an image or fingerprint sensor is being obtained, ahead of transmitting the processed data on to the necessary end points.

The Future of AI Processing and Deep Learning

This technology will help develop Samsung’s system semiconductor capacity as well as strengthening one of the core technologies of the AI era – On-Device AI processing. Differing from AI services that use cloud servers, On-Device AI technologies directly compute data all from within the device itself.

On-Device AI technology can reduce the cost of cloud construction for AI operations since it operates on its own and provides quick and stable performance for use cases such as virtual reality and autonomous driving. Furthermore, On-Device AI technology can save personal biometric information used for device authentication, such as fingerprint, iris and face scans, onto mobile devices safely.

“Ultimately, in the future we will live in a world where all devices and sensor-based technologies are powered by AI,” noted Chang-Kyu Choi, Vice President and head of Computer Vision Lab of SAIT. “Samsung’s On-Device AI technologies are lower-power, higher-speed solutions for deep learning that will pave the way to this future. They are set to expand the memory, processor and sensor market, as well as other next-generation system semiconductor markets.”

A core feature of On-Device AI technology is its ability to compute large amounts of data at a high speed without consuming excessive amounts of electricity. Samsung’s first solution to this end was the Exynos 9 (9820), introduced last year, which featured a proprietary Samsung NPU inside the mobile System on Chip (SoC). This product allows mobile devices to perform AI computations independent of any external cloud server.

Many companies are turning their attention to On-Device AI technology. Samsung Electronics plans to enhance and extend its AI technology leadership by applying this algorithm not only to mobile SoC, but also to memory and sensor solutions in the near future.

Four individuals who played key roles in developing Samsung’s On-Device AI Lightweight Algorithm. From Left to right; Jae-Joon Han, Chang-Young Son, Sang-Il Jung, Chang-Kyu Choi of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology

1 Quantization is the process of decreasing the number of bits in data by binning the given data into sections of limited number levels, which can be represented in certain bit values and are regarded as having the same value per section

² Transistors are devices that control the flow of current or voltage in a semiconductor by acting as amplifiers or switches

In line with its focus on next-generation NPU technologies, Samsung plans to create over 2,000 related jobs worldwide by 2030, which is about 10 times the current headcount. The company will also expand upon its existing collaboration with globally distinguished research institutes and universities, and support the nurturing of future talent in the field of AI, including deep learning and neural processing.

“For the coming age of AI, Samsung is committed to delivering industry-leading advancements brought to life by our NPU technologies,” said Inyup Kang, president of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “As we leverage our differentiated technology, close partnerships with global institutes and active investment in top talent, we are excited to take future AI processing capabilities to the next level.”

Samsung introduced its first NPU in the company’s premium mobile processor, the Exynos 9820, last year and plans to continue offering advanced on-device AI features for high-performance mobile chips. Applications for Samsung’s NPUs will expand into areas such as automotive processors that power in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as next-generation datacenters optimized for big data processing.

The System LSI Business and Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology — Samsung’s R&D arm — together plan to extend and evolve the company’s current NPU research into novel AI hardware technologies such as neuromorphic processors that aim to operate at the level of a human brain.

For the Galaxy S10 line, Samsung brought new, advanced hardware and software-based technologies to the camera, including cutting-edge, AI-powered features. In order to learn more about the phones’ pro-grade camera system – which features an Ultra Wide lens, Super Steady video recording, and a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) – Samsung Newsroom sat down with Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division’s camera developers and product planner.

(From left) Seoyoung Lee, Sunyong Kim, Sugon Baek and Wonseok Song of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division, who planned and developed the Galaxy S10 line’s camera technologies.

The Power of the Ultra Wide Lens

The secret to taking incredible photos with the Galaxy S10 line is the Ultra Wide lens. The addition of the Ultra Wide lens was a major moment for Samsung, and represents one of the biggest changes to the Galaxy series in generations. Now, users can capture every detail of an epic landscape, or fit the entire family into one group shot without having to move back.

“Users expect more than just improved image quality with a new device. They want a camera that makes it easier to take amazing photos,” explained product planner Sunyong Kim. “The Ultra Wide lens features a 123-degree field of view, just like the human eye, so you can easily capture the moment just as you see it.”

Image captured using the Ultra Wide lens on the Galaxy S10+. This feature is also available on the Galaxy S10 and S10e.

With the Ultra Wide lens, users can easily take dynamic pictures using the camera’s Live Focus function and Panorama mode. “Live Focus has been available on previous Samsung devices with the Telephoto and Wide-angle lenses, but for the Galaxy S10 line, we brought it to the Ultra Wide lens as well,” noted Sugon Baek. “What’s more, Panorama mode offers more vertical scope than previous models did, and greatly reduces the need to move the camera from left to right in order to capture the full shot.”

A panorama shot on the Galaxy S10+. This feature is also available on the Galaxy S10 and S10e.

Shake-Free Video Quality

Another new innovation that’s built into the Galaxy S10 line is the camera’s Super Steady video-recording feature, which offers users enhanced video stabilization.²

Super Steady works by using VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization) technology. It predicts user movements before filming starts, and once the camera is running, it calculates the adjustment range to minimize shakiness in videos.

“In the past, achieving optimum video stabilization meant sacrifices for the camera’s angle of view,” noted Wonseok Song. “A conventional wide-angle camera couldn’t solve the problem. But thanks to the Ultra Wide lens, the S10 is able to support a natural viewing angle while also offering stability and quality.”

Given that the adjustment capability of the Super Steady technology is best for capturing bigger movements, Song has a tip for users filming in different conditions: “For scenes that feature less action in low light, use the camera’s normal mode. For brighter scenes that feature more movement, Super Steady is best.”

Video footage³ shot on the Galaxy S9 (left) and Galaxy S10+ (right). This feature is only supported when filming with the Full HD Ultra Wide lens.

A Camera That’s Smart

The Galaxy S10 doesn’t just have the most advanced camera system on a Galaxy phone, it also has the smartest. In a first for Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy S10 includes a next-generation NPU that automatically optimizes pictures in up to 30 different categories.

“We added 10 additional categories to optimize common photos, including ‘Dog,’ ‘Drink,’ and ‘Shoe,’” explained Seoyoung Lee. ‘Dog’ mode, she added, optimizes users’ pictures by focusing on fine details, such as strands of fur, whereas categories like ‘Shoe’ and ‘Clothing’ focus on objects’ colors, since most pictures of these objects are taken without people’s faces in the frame. “We also added ‘Drink’ category because we noticed the growing trend of people sharing pictures of their cocktails on social media.”

The Galaxy S10 line’s camera also provides suggestions of ways to potentially improve photos through its Shot Suggestion function. Based on the Galaxy S10 line’s machine learning capabilities, Shot Suggestion references a database of over 100 million users’ pictures to offer helpful tips on improving overall composition, positioning and proportions for photos of various subjects, including people, animals and vehicles. “The AI-based suggestions have been developed not just to prioritize putting the subject at the center of a photo,” said Lee. “That way, no matter how you want to set up your shot, the Galaxy S10 will help you do it in the most striking way possible.”

Seeing the Whole Picture

In developing the Galaxy S10 line’s camera, the team focused on engineering technologies that add real value to the camera experience, rather than simply increasing the number of lenses and features available.

“The camera is for more than documenting and recording,” explained Kim. “It is now the means through which we communicate.”

From the Ultra Wide lens, to Super Steady, to the NPU – and to other features, like Instagram mode, new filters, enhanced Bixby Vision, and easy shifting between lenses – the Galaxy S10 helps users do more with their camera than they ever could before. For all of those users who say a great camera is the top feature they’re looking for in a smartphone, Samsung has planted the flag.

¹ According to Samsung Electronics’ research

² Video stabilization on the Galaxy S10 line is up to three times better than conventional technologies.

³ This footage has been placed side by side and edited for comparison purposes.

The Exynos 9820 has an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) to deliver deep learning capabilities whilst using less power. With the NPU, Exynos 9820 can perform AI-related functions seven times faster than its predecessor based on TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second).¹

This allows the processor to implement AI anywhere, anytime through its on-device artificial intelligence. With on-device AI, a mobile device can perform artificial intelligent activities with lower latency, better power efficiency, and stronger security than when utilizing the cloud. It enables the mobile device to offer new and improved artificial intelligence features such as personal assistant services, augmented reality and enhanced camera functions.

A desktop-like experience on a mobile device is now reality thanks to next-generation mobile processors that can achieve exceptional computing power. The Exynos 9820 features tri-cluster octa-core CPU architecture consisting of two Samsung custom cores for running heavy computational tasks, two Arm^® Cortex^®-A75 cores for optimal performance, and four Cortex-A55 cores for everyday tasks, thus heightening processing power. Samsung’s fourth-generation custom CPU is implemented with enhanced memory access capability and advanced architecture design, improving the single core performance by up to 20 percent over its predecessor.¹  Furthermore, tri-cluster architecture features an intelligent task scheduler to optimize the balance between performance and efficiency for longer lasting battery life.

The Exynos 9820 integrates an LTE-Advanced Pro modem for lightning-fast mobile broadband speeds. To achieve fast downloads, seamless video streaming, and smooth online gameplay, the modem supports LTE category 20 with 8x carrier aggregation enabling downlink speed of up to 2.0Gbps.²

The modem also enhances stability and speed even further through diverse advanced modem technologies including 4×4 Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO), 256-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), and Enhanced Licensed-Assisted Access (eLAA). Furthermore, the Exynos Modem 5100, Samsung’s 5G cellular modem, can be paired with the Exynos 9820 to support the 5G network.

For an immersive gaming experience on the go, the Exynos 9820 comes with a high-performance Mali-G76 MP12 graphic processing unit (GPU). Featuring wider execution engines – with double the number of lanes than its predecessor – alongside cutting-edge graphics compression techniques and advanced APIs support, the Exynos 9820 provides dramatic uplifts in both performance and efficiency for complex graphics. The Exynos 9820 offers up to 40 percent improvement in performance or 35 percent enhancement in power efficiency.¹

The Exynos 9820 is engineered to capture clear images at any time of the day. With its advanced image signal processor (ISP) for multi-camera solutions, the Exynos 9820 supports diverse cutting-edge photography functions which are further enhanced by AI-capabilities. The Exynos 9820’s ISP has increased the maximum number of sensors it can support from four to five, facilitating flexible multi-camera solutions on a mobile device with diverse functionalities such as optical zoom and bokeh effect. This means that, when a user clicks the shutter button within the camera app, billions of arithmetic operations are performed by the advanced ISP to generate better focus, accurate exposure and white balance, vivid color and less noise, producing amazing photographs.

The Exynos 9820 is also built to transform those special moments into spectacular videos. As recording a video in high-resolution can occupy a large space within a limited storage capacity, a processor must compress the video with a video codec in order to store and transfer it efficiently. The advanced Multi-Format Codec (MFC) in the Exynos 9820 processor can encode and compress 8K video into a smaller file size thanks to its 10-bit HEVC codec, which delivers highly efficient video compression with 10-bit color support. This means users need not worry about running out of storage space – even when recording videos in high resolution. Furthermore, the 10-bit HEVC codec can generate 1,024 different tones for each primary color, which translates into 1.07 billion color combinations.

The advanced display subsystem is built to present high quality multimedia content on an HDR display. The HDR display reproduces lifelike colors with a high level of accuracy. Notably, the Exynos 9820 supports HDR10+, a new open standard for HDR video which employs dynamic tone mapping allowing scenes to be optimized individually. With this powerful display subsystem, the Exynos 9820 can support a 4K UHD display on a mobile device, offering mesmerizing multimedia experiences.

Now these advanced benefits allow people to run daily errands and perform personal tasks using their mobile device alone and they must be accompanied by strong security. The Exynos 9820 features a physically unclonable function (PUF), also known as a digital fingerprint, to manage personal data in perfect isolation, making for more reliable security. PUF generates an unclonable key for data encryption by using the unique physical characteristics of each chip. While the PUF creates a unique digital fingerprint, the security subsystem is a secure key manager that supports other security protocols, such as key generation, storage and derivation.

The Exynos 9820 is built on an advanced FinFET process with a low power design scheme, meaning all of this can be done while consuming less power. The 8nm LPP (Low Power Plus) FinFET process reduces power consumption by up to 10 percent compared to 10nm LPP process.³ The Exynos 9820 also optimizes the power consumptions of the CPU and the GPU through reductions in idle and leakage power and operating voltage.

¹ Tested internally on the Exynos 9820 and the Exynos 9810

² Actual speed may differ by country and carrier.

³ Tested internally on Samsung’s 8nm LPP and 10nm LPP

※ Arm, Cortex and Mali are registered trademarks or trademarks of Arm Limited (or its subsidiaries) in the US and/or elsewhere.

※ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its first automotive-branded processor, Exynos Auto V9, has been selected to power Audi’s next-generation in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system, which is expected to make its debut by 2021.

Exynos Auto V9 is a powerful automotive processor designed for advanced IVI systems that display content on multiple displays, providing information that assists drivers and passengers for a safer and more enjoyable in-vehicle experience. Based on cutting-edge 8-nanometer (nm) process technology, the V9 packs ARM’s latest Cortex-A76 CPU cores, ARM Mali G76 GPU, premium HiFi 4 audio digital signal processor (DSP), intelligent neural processing unit (NPU), and a safety island core that supports Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL)-B standards. The processor also supports fast and power-efficient LPDDR4 and LPDDR5 DRAM.

“Audi thrives to bring the most exciting, yet the safest automobiles when we vision the drive of tomorrow,” said Alfons Pfaller, head of Architecture & Platform Development E/E at Audi. “Samsung has been a valued technology partner over the past few years and we are extremely pleased to have the Exynos Auto V9 power our next-generation platform that will shape the future in-vehicle infotainment experiences.”

“Samsung is fully committed to bringing top-of-the-line automotive processors for safer and more pleasant driving experiences,” said Kenny Han, vice president of Device Solutions Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are thrilled to introduce the new Exynos Auto line of products, starting with the Exynos Auto V9, which brings powerful processing performance to the next generation of automotive in-vehicle infotainment systems while meeting the industry’s strict reliability requirements.”

To deliver highly immersive driving experiences, Exynos Auto V9 supports up to six displays and twelve camera connections for various sub-system content in premium IVI systems. The V9 is powered by eight Cortex-A76 cores at speeds up to 2.1 gigahertz (GHz). The GPU is arranged in three separate dedicated sets of Mali G76 GPU cores that are able to seamlessly support multiple systems such as the cluster display, central information display (CID) and rear-seat entertainment (RSE) simultaneously. For premium audio quality, the chip comes with four HiFi 4 audio processors that provide captivating audio experiences with vivid and realistic sounds.

Functional safety is especially critical when it comes to automotive components. Exynos Auto V9’s embedded safety island allows real-time protection for system operations, facilitating ASIL-B requirements.

In addition, the V9 is equipped with an NPU for a digital concierge service that can intelligently manage a safe and personalized driving environment. With incredibly fast operations, the NPU can process visual and audio data for features such as face, speech or gesture recognition.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos.

* Devices shown and features simulated on devices are fictitious creations. No simulation of any real products or features is intended.

Built to maximize intelligence on the go, the Exynos 9 Series 9820 is Samsung’s most innovative mobile processor to date. Featuring advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, a powerful custom CPU and more, the processor expands the possibilities of mobile devices and provides the blueprint for future smartphones.

From photography and multimedia experiences to connectivity, the Exynos 9820 takes every mobile feature to the next level. The processor’s superior performance and efficiency also make multitasking and mobile gaming more seamless than ever before.

• An Intelligent Powerhouse: With a specialized Neural Processing Unit (NPU), the Exynos 9820 can process AI-related functions seven times faster than its predecessor.¹
• Superior Performance: The Exynos 9820’s 4^th generation custom CPU and tri-cluster architecture boost the processor’s single core and multi-core performances by up to 15 percent and 25 percent respectively compared to those of the Exynos 9810.¹
• Lightning-fast Connectivity: LTE-Advanced Pro modem offers downlink speed of up to 2.0Gbps with 8x carrier aggregation (CA) and uplink speed of up to 316Mbps for seamless browsing, video streaming and online gameplay.²
• A Game Changer: With wider execution engines, the Exynos 9820’s Mali-G76 MP12 GPU offers up to 40 percent improvement in performance or 35 percent enhancement in power efficiency compared to those of the Exynos 9810.¹
• Photography Reinvented: The Exynos 9820’s advanced image signal processor (ISP) supports flexible multi-camera solutions for high-quality photos.
• Capture Reality in 8K: The Exynos 9820’s multi-format codec enables recording more details than ever by supporting 8K video encoding and decoding at 30fps.
• Rock-solid Security: Physically unclonable function (PUF) provides the ultimate security solution for storing and managing personal data.
• All-day Productivity: The Exynos 9820 delivers round-the-clock mobile productivity by enhancing battery life with an innovative low–power design.

For more information about the Exynos 9820, head over to the webpage here.

¹Tested internally on the Exynos 9820 and the Exynos 9810.

²Actual speed may differ by country and carrier.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced its latest premium application processor (AP), the Exynos 9 Series 9820, equipped for on-device Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. The Exynos 9820 features a fourth-generation custom CPU, 2.0-gigabits-per-second (Gbps) LTE Advanced Pro modem, and an enhanced neural processing unit (NPU) to bring new smart experiences to mobile devices.

“As AI-related services expand and their utilization diversify in mobile devices, their processors require higher computational capabilities and efficiency,” said Ben Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “The AI capabilities in the Exynos 9 Series 9820 will provide a new dimension of performance in smart devices through an integrated NPU, high-performance fourth-generation custom CPU core, 2.0Gbps LTE modem and improved multimedia performance.”

The Exynos 9820 is an intelligent powerhouse with a separate hardware AI-accelerator, or NPU, which performs AI tasks around seven times faster than the predecessor. With the NPU, AI-related processing can be carried out directly on the device rather than sending the task to a server, providing faster performance as well as better security of personal information. The NPU will enable a variety of new experiences such as instantly adjusting camera settings for a shot based on the surroundings or recognizing objects to provide information in augmented or virtual reality (AR or VR) settings.

With an enhanced architecture design, the Exynos 9820’s new fourth-generation custom core delivers around 20-percent improvement in single core performance or 40-percent in power efficiency when compared to its predecessor which can load data or switch between apps much faster. In addition, the multi-core performance is also increased by around 15 percent. The new mobile processor embeds the latest Mali-G76 GPU cores, which deliver a 40-percent performance boost or 35-percent power savings, allowing longer play time of graphic-intensive mobile games or interactive AR applications.

The LTE-Advanced Pro modem in the Exynos 9820 brings fast mobile broadband speeds of 2.0Gbps downlink with 8x carrier aggregation (CA) and 316 megabits-per-second (Mbps) uplink. At 2.0Gbps downlink speed, an FHD high-definition movie (3.7GB) can be downloaded in about 15 seconds and massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) can be played with less lag. With more aggregation of carriers than the previous solution along with 4×4 MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output), 256-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) scheme, and enhanced Licensed-Assisted Access (eLAA) technology, the modem delivers stable yet blazing speed on the go.

For more immersive multimedia experiences, Exynos 9820’s multi-format codec (MFC) supports encoding and decoding of 4K UHD video at 150 frames per second (fps). The MFC also renders colors in 10-bit, delivering more accurate representation of color by offering a wider range of tones and hues.

The Exynos 9 Series 9820 is expected to be in mass production by the end of this year.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos.