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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports [Google translation, via Mac Otakara] that "high-ranking officials" at Samsung have disclosed that the firm has yet to receive orders for an A7 chip to be used in the iPhone 6 next year. The lack of contact with Apple about an A7 chip is reportedly leading to speculation at Samsung that Apple has shifted its orders for the chip to Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC).

According to the report, Apple and Samsung are currently operating under an exclusive supply contract for A-series chips, but that contract is set to expire in June. With that expiration, Apple will be able to shift production to TSMC, which is pressing forward on plans for its smaller and more efficient 20-nanometer process. TSMC is said to be about two months ahead of schedule on beginning installation of production equipment for 20-nm chips.

Today's report is in line with previous rumors claiming that Apple and TSMC have essentially completed the initial design for a 20-nm A7 chip with shipments currently scheduled for early next year.

As we noted previously, assuming that rumors of a 2014 launch for a 20-nm A7 chip are accurate, Apple will need to use a different solution for its 2013 iOS device models, with options including a die shrink of the current A6 chip from 32-nm to 28-nm, a more substantially revamped A6 chip, or an early A7 chip based on a 28-nm process.

Article Link: Samsung's Exclusive Contract for iOS Device Chips Expiring in June as A7 for iPhone 6 Heads to TSMC?
 

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Hope this is true. Once Apple moves manufacturing of essential parts to other companies, Samsung will no longer have the benefit of figuring out Apple's iOS roadmap.
 

Squilly

macrumors 68020
Nov 17, 2012
2,260
4
PA
I'm still shocked Samsung has been supplying Apple for the past year with the lawsuit and all. "Apple needs Samsung and Samsung needs Apple" is BS.
 

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
I'm still shocked Samsung has been supplying Apple for the past year with the lawsuit and all. "Apple needs Samsung and Samsung needs Apple" is BS.

Let me guess...Apple doesn't need anybody, right??

The fact that Samsung is an important Apple supplier means nothing...Apple rules the world, so any supplier would kill to supply Apple...right?

:rolleyes:
 

Born Again

macrumors 601
May 12, 2011
4,020
5,212
Norcal
It's amazing to be for all the hate that Samsung gets they provide the brains of our beloved iPhones.

Let's all give them a thank you!

Thank you Samsung for working with Apple! :)
 

polymersayb

macrumors regular
Dec 12, 2012
125
130
Hopefully the quality of the chips doesn't suffer as a result (I'm thinking of the ghosting in the non-Samsung retina displays). Apple doesn't need any more bad publicity and users will not sympathize with the business/political explanation.
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
Hope this is true. Once Apple moves manufacturing of essential parts to other companies, Samsung will no longer have the benefit of figuring out Apple's iOS roadmap.

Do tell me how they can figure out a roadmap based on a chip order?

Do you have any idea how manufacturing works?

ETA: I'm also not sure why some people are so eager for Samsung to stop supplying parts to Apple. Aren't their screens and SSDs/etc notably the ones people "fight" to get vs macs and devices that have other competitors components. I'm pretty sure this forum is riddled with people who have spoken how samsung's parts are superior.
 

I WAS the one

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2006
867
58
Orlando, FL
I really hopes Apple turn into a stable company and last many years to come. it will be sad see Apple going down after all things has done to improv the technology we live today.
 

GenesisST

macrumors 68000
Jan 23, 2006
1,802
1,055
Where I live
Business is not emotional (for the most part), not like fans (on ALL sides) in forums...

Me... I don't care... as long as Apple products get the best parts available. Well I care in the sense that I just hope they don't go to TSMC only with sub-par parts.

And am I the only one that sings the Marines' Hymn every time is see TSMC?

"From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli..."
 

mabhatter

macrumors 65816
Jan 3, 2009
1,022
388
I'm still shocked Samsung has been supplying Apple for the past year with the lawsuit and all. "Apple needs Samsung and Samsung needs Apple" is BS.

Apple has a PREPAID contract with Samsung for parts. If Samsung didn't deliver NOBODY ELSE would buy from Samsung for breaking their manufacturing contract without cause.

This is a case where Samsung's parts division is happily meeting Tim Cook's needs... And their Cell phone division is publicly bad-mouthing their best paying customer. It is ENTIRELY a MANAGEMENT PROBLEM... Mr. Samsung needed to bust some heads... But Korean manufactures are "too big to fail" and all the minions know that.... So "the boss" isn't really THE BOSS.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
Hope this is true. Once Apple moves manufacturing of essential parts to other companies, Samsung will no longer have the benefit of figuring out Apple's iOS roadmap.

Still trying to figure how a CPU design can lead to knowing iOS roadmap.

----------

Apple has a PREPAID contract with Samsung for parts. If Samsung didn't deliver NOBODY ELSE would buy from Samsung for breaking their manufacturing contract without cause.

And Apple couldn't break the contract? Do you have any information about being a PREPAID contract?
 

Squilly

macrumors 68020
Nov 17, 2012
2,260
4
PA
Let me guess...Apple doesn't need anybody, right??

The fact that Samsung is an important Apple supplier means nothing...Apple rules the world, so any supplier would kill to supply Apple...right?

:rolleyes:

Samsung was fined $1 Billion by them (well, $500 million).
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
How is an A7 'early' if they have no public roadmap?

Starting in June would certainly put it in line with an early Fall launch as last year.
 

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Do tell me how they can figure out a roadmap based on a chip order?

Do you have any idea how manufacturing works?

Yes perfectly. A company needs to tell its supplier what it wants and when it wants it, so the supplier can have the appropriate amount of production capacity online.

So Samsung can figure out when Apple is launching the next product, and advertise right before that for a product "coming out later this year".
 

nick_elt

macrumors 68000
Oct 28, 2011
1,578
0
a fanboys wet dream....




and nothing more
(apart from more american jobs lost)
 
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