Samsung unveils new Exynos and ISOCELL chips for automobiles

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of two new automotive solutions - the Exynos Auto and Samsung ISOCELL Auto. Exynos is the company's mobile semiconductor brand which was launched back in 2011. ISOCELL, on the other hand, is for imaging sensors and was unveiled in 2017. The chips for vehicles will thus be called as Exynos Auto and ISOCELL Auto.

Though it has already used the Exynos Auto branding, it is now further dividing the brand. The Exynos chips will be categorized into Exynos Auto V, Exynos Auto A, and Exynos Auto T. The alphabets represent a specific area of focus. The V chips take care of the infotainment, while the A chips will be used for advanced driving aids and T for telematics.

"With the fast-changing telecommunications sector, accurate sensing and powerful processing capabilities, Samsung's auto-branded solutions will enable a new driving experience for next-generation smart vehicles," the company said in a press release.
The ISOCELL brand was introduced for the company's CMOS image sensors last year.

The new sensors will build on Samsung's pixel isolation technology to offer greater visibility of the road in low-light conditions. These sensors will be crucial in the future automobiles as they collect crucial data for the advanced driving solutions.

The company will be showcasing the new chips at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfburg, Germany this week. Samsung's other affiliates also offer components to automotive customers including OLED displays and batteries for electric vehicles.

Apart from automobiles, Samsung is also planning to put smarter chips on its smartphones. A new report suggests that the upcoming smartphone will have a processor with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) developed for specific AI computing.

The new functionality, however, will only be seen on select Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 models. Samsung has already developed the second-generation NPU solution, as suggested by a LinkedIn profile of one of its former employees.

It doesn't give away any specifics about the chip, though the platform is expected to be found inside the Exynos 9820, which is the company's next flagship processor for phones and tablets.