If the partnership between AMD and Samsung is not enough to pique interest on the Taiwan-based tech company’s plans, DigiTimes reveal that AMD is in talks with MediaTek for a possible joint venture. The report says that the joint venture will focus on integrating MediaTek’s 5G, WiFi, and other data transmission technologies to AMD processors, with the focus being on laptops. DigiTimes’ sources say that the market availability for these new chips will be on 2024.
The partnership between AMD and MediaTek is not new. Both tech companies collaborated in the past when AMD used MediaTek’s WiFi 6 tech into the former’s RZ608 WiFi 6e module (also known as MT7921K) that debuted in the AYANEO handheld gaming console. Aside from WiFi 6/6e, MediaTek is active in developing new 5G technologies–the most recent being the M80 5G modem that supports both mmWave and sub-6Ghz frequencies.
The collaboration with MediaTek is expected to bring a significant impact to AMD’s processor offerings by offering a broader set of wireless solutions integrated into their SoCs. This move is also seen as a strategic move by AMD to improve the overall performance of its processors against rival Intel–especially with its intention to diversify its portfolio by manufacturing ARM-based chips.
AMD’s decision to have MediaTek as its potential partner is a no-brainer, as MediaTek surpassed Qualcomm as the largest smartphone chipset vendor in 2020.
As of this writing, AMD responded to the DigiTimes report, saying it does not comment on market speculation. MediaTek, on the other hand, denied that there are ongoing talks with AMD.
