Core Viewpoint - Qualcomm is transitioning to TSMC's advanced 2nm N2P process for its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Gen 7 chipsets, moving away from the 3nm process, which indicates a significant investment in manufacturing technology [1][2]. Group 1: Technology Transition - Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the last flagship chipset made using the 3nm process, with future models adopting the 2nm N2P process [1]. - TSMC's 2nm N2P architecture offers a 5% performance boost or a 5% reduction in power consumption at the same clock speed compared to the previous generation [2]. Group 2: Strategic Partnerships - There is uncertainty regarding Qualcomm's potential collaboration with Samsung for utilizing its 2nm GAA process, which could provide Qualcomm with better negotiation leverage for wafer pricing [2]. - Qualcomm and MediaTek reportedly paid up to 24% more for 3nm wafers, highlighting the need for a dual-sourcing strategy to mitigate rising costs as TSMC is expected to increase prices for 2nm wafers by 50% [2]. Group 3: Future Outlook - Qualcomm's strategy appears to focus on maximizing performance through increased core frequency while maintaining efficiency with the new N2P process [2]. - Samsung has completed the foundational design for its second-generation 2nm GAA process, indicating potential future opportunities for Qualcomm to collaborate with Samsung [2].

Investment Rating - The electronic industry is rated as "Outperform" compared to the market [1] Core Insights - The demand for NAND Flash is expected to surge due to the increasing needs from AI servers and the latest smartphone models, particularly with the iPhone upgrading its minimum storage capacity from 128GB to 256GB [2][5] - The NAND Flash market is projected to experience significant price increases of 15%-20% in Q4 2025, breaking the traditional year-end price decline [5][11] - The market size for NAND Flash is anticipated to reach $38.73 billion in 2023 and $65.64 billion in 2024, driven by supply-demand balance improvements and high-capacity storage needs from AI servers and data centers [11][12] Summary by Sections NAND Flash Market Overview - NAND Flash is a non-volatile memory technology primarily used for data storage, offering advantages over DRAM and SRAM in terms of data retention and cost [6][9] - The NAND Flash market is characterized by a fluctuating growth trend, with major manufacturers reducing production to improve supply-demand balance [11][12] Price Trends and Market Dynamics - As of September 22, 2025, the prices for various NAND Flash products are as follows: MLC 256GB at $12.20, MLC 128GB at $9.45, SLC 16GB at $9.94, and SLC 8GB at $3.47 [5][11] - The top five companies in the NAND Flash market by market share in Q2 2025 are Samsung (32.9%), SK Group (21.1%), Kioxia (13.5%), Micron (13.3%), and SanDisk (12.0%) [12] Company Spotlight: Jiangbo Long - Jiangbo Long is recognized as a leading semiconductor storage brand, providing high-end, flexible, and efficient customized services, with a focus on NAND Flash and DRAM products [21][22] - The company's revenue grew from 7.276 billion yuan in 2020 to 17.464 billion yuan in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 24.47% [22][30] - Jiangbo Long's product offerings include embedded storage, solid-state drives, mobile storage, and memory modules, with embedded storage being the core product [27][30] Recent Developments in the Industry - The electronic industry index increased by 3.51% in the week of September 22-26, 2025, outperforming the Shanghai Composite Index, which rose by 1.07% [2][46] - The semiconductor equipment sector has shown strong performance, with a 15.56% increase in the semiconductor equipment index [2][50]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rising costs associated with TSMC's latest 3nm "N3P" process technology, highlighting that Qualcomm and MediaTek are paying significantly higher prices for their chipsets compared to previous generations, which may lead to increased prices for flagship devices [2][3]. Pricing and Cost Implications - TSMC has not offered price discounts for its 3nm "N3P" process, resulting in customers paying up to 24% more for their SoCs [2] - MediaTek reportedly pays about 24% more than before, while Qualcomm pays approximately 16% more for the same technology [2] - The wafer prices for the 3nm "N3P" process have increased by about 20% compared to the previous 3nm "N3E" process, indicating that Apple may also be affected by these cost increases [3] Market Impact - The increased costs for Qualcomm and MediaTek are expected to be passed on to their partners, potentially leading to higher prices for flagship smartphones [3] - TSMC's upcoming 2nm wafers are projected to be 50% more expensive than current technologies, with Apple securing over half of the initial production capacity, making it difficult for Qualcomm and MediaTek to obtain sufficient supply in the future [3]

Core Insights - Qualcomm confirmed that Xiaomi will be the first manufacturer to launch a smartphone equipped with the next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, expected to be unveiled on September 23 [1] - The competition for flagship smartphones is intensifying, with Xiaomi and iQOO leading the charge, while other manufacturers are also expected to join the fray [3][5] - The release schedule for flagship smartphones has been significantly advanced, with major brands aligning their launches closer to the release of new chips [5][6] Group 1: Market Dynamics - The flagship smartphone release cycle has shifted, with Qualcomm and MediaTek now targeting late September for new chip launches, prompting manufacturers to release their devices earlier [5][6] - The upcoming flagship models from Xiaomi and iQOO are expected to showcase advancements in imaging and AI capabilities, which are becoming critical differentiators in the market [6][10] - The competition is not limited to Xiaomi and iQOO; OPPO and vivo are also set to release their flagship models, indicating a broader competitive landscape [5][15] Group 2: Product Strategies - Xiaomi's strategy for the upcoming Xiaomi 16 series appears to be conservative, focusing on a dual-model approach and maintaining a balance between performance and overall user experience [14] - In contrast, iQOO is expected to adopt a more aggressive strategy with the iQOO 15 series, emphasizing enhancements in gaming performance and imaging capabilities [6][7] - The trend towards "smart" features, particularly in AI and imaging, is likely to influence product positioning and consumer preferences in the flagship segment [10][15] Group 3: Sales Performance - Recent sales data indicates that Apple's iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models have significantly outperformed competitors, with over 23 million units activated [12] - Xiaomi's 15 series has shown strong sales, closely trailing Huawei's Mate 70 series, highlighting its competitive positioning in the market [12][16] - The sales figures for various flagship models reveal a competitive landscape, with Xiaomi and Huawei leading, while other brands like vivo and OPPO are also making notable contributions [16]