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Samsung's 'premium' smartphone chip puts everything in one place

Samsung's next chip is a single square of silicon with a load of things your mobile computer needs. To start, the Exynos 8 Octa 8890 (memorable) is based on 14nm FinFET tech, whose 3D design means better power performance. The company has custom-designed the CPU around a 64-bit ARM design, and will apparently give a 30 percent improvement in performance and ten percent in power efficiency compared to the Exynos 7 Octa it replaces. ARM's Mali-T880 graphics processor also snuggles closely next to a high-end LTE modem. You know, like Qualcomm does.

While Samsung has folded LTE into its Exynos range before, this is the company's first premium single-chip product - with Samsung's best 4G modem alongside all that processing power. With it being just the single piece of silicon, this means less parts and less space taken up within the device too, which Samsung says will allow "more flexible design options" — but that's probably reference the inside of your next Galaxy phone, not the outside.