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Samsung and GlobalFoundries to Produce Apple's 14-nm A9 Chips in 2015

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Samsung and GlobalFoundries have landed orders from Apple to produce the 14-nanometer A9 processor starting next year, reports DigiTimes. The 14nm chips will be rolled out of GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 factory in Malta, New York, which Samsung will also use to produce Apple's A-series chips.
According to Samsung and Globalfoundries' roadmap, the two foundries plan to push their initial 14nm LPE (low power early) process, which was verified in February, into risk production in the fourth quarter of 2014 and small volume production in early 2015, the sources indicated.
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The report also notes that longtime Apple partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will attempt to secure orders for Apple's A9 chip by introducing new semiconductor processes by early next year. Apple is also reportedly considering Intel as a partner to produce the A9, according to the sources.

Last year, it was reported that Samsung and TSMC would be sharing production of Apple's A9 chip in 2015, with the former producing 30% to 40% of the total order. Samsung and GlobalFoundries have aided each other throughout the past year, with Samsung helping set up the Fab 8 factory last year and GlobalFoundries providing the backup location when needed. Samsung and GlobalFoundries announced in April that they would be adopting the same chip production process to prepare for next-generation mobile devices.

Apple's 14-nanometer A9 processors are expected to be used in the company's 2015 iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, this year's forthcoming iPhone 6, iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 are expected to use Apple's 20-nanometer A8 processor, which is being produced by TSMC. Samsung was said to be splitting the production load for the A8 with TSMC, however the company is said to have dropped out due to low yields.

Article Link: Samsung and GlobalFoundries to Produce Apple's 14-nm A9 Chips in 2015
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/01/samsung-globalfoundries-apple-a9-2015/
I

iPhone7ate9

macrumors 6502a
Jun 22, 2014
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I'm getting an iPhone 6 this year and just glad the processor WON'T be made by samsung! They are low quality rubbish.
 
maflynn

maflynn

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May 3, 2009
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iPhone7ate9 said:
I'm getting an iPhone 6 this year and just glad the processor WON'T be made by samsung! They are low quality rubbish.
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So are all the prior iPads, and iPhones rubbish because Samsung is rubbish, they also make a lot of memory that goes into Macs, people also clamor for the displays that Samsung make. :rolleyes:
 
H

Henriok

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Feb 19, 2002
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I think it's cool that Apple is being able to really shop around for their needs. I hope that TSMC lost the order due to some economical reason and not because they've botched the A8.
 
johnnnw

johnnnw

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iPhone7ate9 said:
I'm getting an iPhone 6 this year and just glad the processor WON'T be made by samsung! They are low quality rubbish.
Click to expand...

Blah blah I use an iPhone and hate samsung phones so I compare that to component manufacturing I unknowingly use in all my electronics,

Hate to tell you but there may be samsung components in your MacBook. Sorry if this means you will need to sell it.
 
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HiRez

HiRez

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Does anyone other than Samsung ever get production of new Apple chips? Ever time there are all these rumors about some foundry or other(s)—TSMC, Intel, etc.—getting part or all of the production, but in the end Samsung gets the contract every single time. I'm going to start ignoring these rumors. I mean hey, the chips are awesome so Samsung is doing something right, but the rumors are always rubbish.
 
maflynn

maflynn

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May 3, 2009
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HiRez said:
Does anyone other than Samsung ever get production of new Apple chips? Ever time there are all these rumors about some foundry or other(s)—TSMC, Intel, etc.—getting part or all of the production, but in the end Samsung gets the contract every single time. I'm going to start ignoring these rumors. I mean hey, the chips are awesome so Samsung is doing something right, but the rumors are always rubbish.
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Because Samsung is really the only foundry that can produce the chips in the volume, quality yields and price that Apple wants.
 
A

apolloa

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iPhone7ate9 said:
I'm getting an iPhone 6 this year and just glad the processor WON'T be made by samsung! They are low quality rubbish.
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Ah, so you won't be buying any iDevice next year than, or the year after that, or the year after that...

And you won't be buying any Mac computer, but what if heaven forbid you buy an iDevice at any time and it has Samsung display? What you going to do then? It is very scary the thought of purchasing an Apple device that performs brilliantly and looks great thanks to Samsungs displays and components!
 
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Steve121178

Steve121178

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iPhone7ate9 said:
I'm getting an iPhone 6 this year and just glad the processor WON'T be made by samsung! They are low quality rubbish.
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I'm not sure where to start with this post.

If I were to choose a vendor to produce my chips I wouldn't look any further than Samsung. I'd also use them for as many components as possible, especially storage.
 
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2457282

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HiRez said:
Does anyone other than Samsung ever get production of new Apple chips? Ever time there are all these rumors about some foundry or other(s)—TSMC, Intel, etc.—getting part or all of the production, but in the end Samsung gets the contract every single time. I'm going to start ignoring these rumors. I mean hey, the chips are awesome so Samsung is doing something right, but the rumors are always rubbish.
Click to expand...

maflynn said:
Because Samsung is really the only foundry that can produce the chips in the volume, quality yields and price that Apple wants.
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I am a bit confused by this as well. All the rumors amount to squat. Samsung seems to rule when it comes to chips. I don't understand why they seem to be the only ones capable of doing this. What happened to tsmc? Why can't Apple bring that in house like they are doing with sapphire? What secret does Samsung have that keeps them winning every single contract? It just seems weird especially given all the legal battles. And that is why it confuses me to read all this.
 
K

KPOM

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Henriok said:
I think it's cool that Apple is being able to really shop around for their needs. I hope that TSMC lost the order due to some economical reason and not because they've botched the A8.
Click to expand...

My guess is that they aren't as far along as the others on their 14nm process. Intel would be an interesting move, as they haven't produced ARM chips in a while. However, they are further along than anyone else at 14nm.
 
Steve121178

Steve121178

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apolloa

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Cuban Missles said:
I am a bit confused by this as well. All the rumors amount to squat. Samsung seems to rule when it comes to chips. I don't understand why they seem to be the only ones capable of doing this. What happened to tsmc? Why can't Apple bring that in house like they are doing with sapphire? What secret does Samsung have that keeps them winning every single contract? It just seems weird especially given all the legal battles. And that is why it confuses me to read all this.
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There's nothing to be confused about? You are looking at this from a fanboy prospective, not a global successful corporation perspective. Apple couldn't care squat if they sue Samsungs retail division, when it comes to millions and millions of high yield components, Samsung are the only ones normally that can do that, so of course Apple and everyone else will use them, the price is right too.
If TSMC could match Samsung then Apple would go to them too, but they can't, they so far as I know haven't been able to match the yield rate Samsung can.

As for bringing it in house, that will never happen, there's a reason Apple has never done this, it doesn't want to, it would rather own shares in ones that do like PowerVR. It takes an awful lot of time and money and expertise to set up a successful fabrication plant able to churn out millions and millions of components, plus R&D and new techniques and machinery. It would also heavily impact on Apples bottom lines and profits if something went wrong.
Take Nvidia, it's 330M GPU was faulty in the MacBook Pros, yet under EU law Apple HAS to replace the motherboards in every one of those laptops it sold in Europe if the owner reports a problem and it proves the GPU as faulty, that's because EU law states the device was faulty at time of purchase and so has to be repaired. The only way Apple can do that is by replacing the entire motherboard, and I can bet you it isn't paying for that, Nvidia is.
 
osofast240sx

osofast240sx

macrumors 68030
Mar 25, 2011
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Cuban Missles said:
I am a bit confused by this as well. All the rumors amount to squat. Samsung seems to rule when it comes to chips. I don't understand why they seem to be the only ones capable of doing this. What happened to tsmc? Why can't Apple bring that in house like they are doing with sapphire? What secret does Samsung have that keeps them winning every single contract? It just seems weird especially given all the legal battles. And that is why it confuses me to read all this.
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Samsung(phone division) legal battles with Apple have absolutely nothing to do with Samsung manufacturing side. Apple designs custom chips then hires Samsung to manufacture quality chips at a high yeild.
 
I

iPhone7ate9

macrumors 6502a
Jun 22, 2014
720
0
maflynn said:
So are all the prior iPads, and iPhones rubbish because Samsung is rubbish, they also make a lot of memory that goes into Macs, people also clamor for the displays that Samsung make. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Don't know but I just know that samsung makes poor quality products.

----------
johnnnw said:
Blah blah I use an iPhone and hate samsung phones so I compare that to component manufacturing I unknowingly use in all my electronics,

Hate to tell you but there may be samsung components in your MacBook. Sorry if this means you will need to sell it.
Click to expand...

I have a samsung phone...........
I don't have a macbook....

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apolloa said:
Ah, so you won't be buying any iDevice next year than, or the year after that, or the year after that...

And you won't be buying any Mac computer, but what if heaven forbid you buy an iDevice at any time and it has Samsung display? What you going to do then? It is very scary the thought of purchasing an Apple device that performs brilliantly and looks great thanks to Samsungs displays and components!
Click to expand...

I actually won't be buying any mac computer. I will try to avoid samsung products at all costs!
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,447
43,366
iPhone7ate9 said:
Don't know but I just know that samsung makes poor quality products.
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Go to the MacBook Forum and the Samsung SSDs are the most recommended product for the MBPs.

Your hatred of samsung has no basis on the quality of the product. They make excellent Tvs, computer products, Apple uses them extensively so by extension you're saying apple products are poor quality because they rely so heavily on Samsung. :eek:
 
I

iPhone7ate9

macrumors 6502a
Jun 22, 2014
720
0
69Mustang said:
You picked the wrong thread for Samsung hate. Their components and capacity are top notch. Maybe you will get lucky and Apple and Samsung will sue each other again. Then you can express all the fanboyism your heart desires.:eek:
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You know what, maybe one or two 'chips' they make are good. But when they combine multiple pieces to make something such as a TV (don't tell this to all the brainwashed drones who see a super bright tv in best buy and a big inflated contrast ratio) or a phone, they make junk.

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maflynn said:
Go to the MacBook Forum and the Samsung SSDs are the most recommended product for the MBPs.

Your hatred of samsung has no basis on the quality of the product. They make excellent Tvs, computer products, Apple uses them extensively so by extension you're saying apple products are poor quality because they rely so heavily on Samsung. :eek:
Click to expand...

They make terrible TVs actually.
 
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