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464495-microsoft-hololens

Last month, nosotros wrote virtually new information virtually the follow-upward to Microsoft's HoloLens, and how the new device would integrate an AI co-processor. At the time, we speculated that Intel's Cantlet SoCs might not be long for this world, though we didn't expect the hammer to driblet quite every bit quickly every bit information technology has. Intel is killing its Cantlet X5-Z8100P processor, the chip that powers the Microsoft HoloLens.

This chip isn't publicly listed on Intel's website (Ark.Intel.com; useful for all CPU identification tasks), but has been identified (PDF, merely with security warning)  as a Cherry Trail-based office clocked at 1.04GHz. Intel's decision to cancel its Atom-based SoCs as information technology exited the smartphone and tablet business has left Microsoft without a follow-up product, though the fact that Intel is exiting the market for a chip that may merely take had one client implies Microsoft and Intel have worked this upshot out amongst themselves.

Another reason to view the state of affairs as a mutual understanding is Intel hasn't killed its other Cherry Trail Atom SoCs in the same family unit:

Intel-Atom

Plenty of Intel Cherry Trail SoCs are notwithstanding on the market.

This raises the question, however: If Intel isn't providing a CPU solution for HoloLens ii (our title), who is? We may not know which company, specifically, is edifice the solution, merely in that location are only three options, and merely one of them makes sense:

1). Microsoft has paid Intel to build information technology a semicustom Atom SoC based on Goldmont.
2). Microsoft paid AMD to build it a semicustom SoC based on a 14nm Jaguar core.
3). Microsoft contracted with an ARM vendor.

#iii is the only realistic selection here. Microsoft may have paid Intel for a custom Atom SoC earlier, but that was back when Intel was still committed to selling Atom chips across the tablet and smartphone markets, including in Microsoft's own Surface iii. Information technology's one thing to be a semicustom customer for the mildly custom part that'due south being sold elsewhere, and something else entirely to be the only customer the company expects to have for an entire hardware line. MS tin scarcely promise to make its investment back in volume; there'south no indication that the visitor is planning a broad consumer rollout for HoloLens 2.

The second pick doesn't make sense either, for the same reason. We know AMD has ported Jaguar to 14nm, only the SoC designs for the PlayStation Pro and Xbox I X don't have a mobile-compatible GPU bolted on. And AMD has fabricated only the faintest of overtures towards the tablet market since it sold the GPU IP that became Qualcomm'southward Adreno almost ten years ago. Again, Microsoft isn't going to desire to foot the unabridged bill for a low-toll x86 SoC and associated graphics hardware, especially when AMD, similar Intel, has no plans to compete in the tablet or smartphone space.

That leaves choice #3. Here, there are a plethora of options and plenty of companies who would love a high-profile win in a device like HoloLens. Both Qualcomm and Imagination Technologies have GPUs that could handle the processing, especially since Microsoft is beefing up the role and capability of its artificial intelligence processing.

This last point is presumably why the business firm wouldn't turn to a visitor like Nvidia. While Nvidia might have some silicon in its armory that could exist repurposed for this role, strapping Microsoft'due south custom AI silicon into the same hardware that features Nvidia's AI silicon (via the GPU) would be redundant. Besides, Nvidia has gotten out of tablets and smartphones also, and is focused on vehicles, which have much more robust cooling options and room for larger boards than your average headset.

Disallowment a Microsoft annunciation that it'due south getting into the CPU business, ARM is the only likely fit here.