ARM Holdings (ARM.US) announced on Tuesday the launch of a new-generation chip design architecture named "Lumex." This architecture is specifically optimized for artificial intelligence (AI) and enables smartphones, smartwatches, and other mobile devices to run AI functions offline without requiring internet connectivity.
The newly released Lumex series ARM mobile chip designs comprise four distinct types, covering various performance requirements. These range from versions designed for smartwatches and other wearable devices that offer lower performance but higher energy efficiency, to high-performance versions focused on delivering maximum computational power. The high-performance versions are specifically targeted at supporting high-end smartphones and other devices to run "large AI model-driven software" without relying on cloud computing resources—essentially enabling local deployment and execution of AI functions.
Chris Bergey, Senior Vice President and General Manager at ARM, stated: "Whether it's real-time interaction scenarios or 'killer applications' like AI translation, AI is gradually becoming the core foundation of mobile experiences. We can clearly sense that users have formed 'default expectations' for devices to possess AI capabilities."
The Lumex design announced on Tuesday falls under ARM's "Compute Subsystems (CSS)" business segment. This business unit's core positioning is to provide "plug-and-play" mature technology solutions for smartphone manufacturers and chip design companies, helping them rapidly integrate new technologies into new products and shorten development and time-to-market cycles.
Currently, ARM is developing more comprehensive chip design solutions for data centers and mobile devices as part of its long-term strategy aimed at expanding revenue scale in the smartphone sector and other businesses through diversified approaches. Additionally, ARM has previously disclosed plans to invest more funds in exploring autonomous chip development and has recruited several core technical talents to advance this initiative.
The Lumex architecture has been optimized for 3-nanometer process technology, with representative suppliers of such process technology including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, ticker: 2330.TW). Notably, Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) also released its series of iPhone chips on the same Tuesday, which similarly utilize TSMC's 3-nanometer process.
Bergey noted that ARM will host a dedicated launch event for the Lumex architecture in China on Wednesday. Since major global smartphone manufacturers, aside from Apple and Samsung, are primarily concentrated in the Chinese market, holding the launch event in China carries significant strategic importance.