Samsung plans $1.9bn mobile chip line with new CEO

It's been a busy periodĀ for Samsung. Not too long ago they unveiled the Galaxy S III to the world, started selling it across Europe, and is currently gearing up for a US launch via the major American carriers. Things continue to move swiftly internally as well, with the company announcing the appointment of a new CEO, Kwon Oh-hyun. Previously Kwon was the head of Samsung's components business, and will replace the current CEO, Choi Gee-sung.

Kwon Oh-hyun will reportedly still oversee the component side of the business, but also handle "corporate-wide affairs" as the new CEO. Choi Gee-sung, meanwhile, will retain his position on Samsung's board, and will assume a new position as the head of Samsung's Group Corporate Strategy Office. That division is said to focus on future growth for the company as a whole.

In other news, the company will be investing $1.9 billion in a new chip production line. Samsung's aim is to produce 20nm and 14nm chips in the future. That's even smaller than chips being used right now, with the current quad-core Exynos chip found in the Galaxy S III utilizing a 32nm process, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 chips using 28nm. The new fabrication process will allow more efficient chips to be used in smartphones and tablets going forward, and Samsung say that the new production line should be completed by the end of 2013.

[via Reuters]