A9 Chip Manufacturing Split 60/40 Between TSMC and Samsung, Not Segmented by Device Size

[MacRumors]

Teardowns of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have revealed two different A9 chips inside the devices, one created by TSMC and one developed by Samsung, which is slightly smaller in size, having been manufactured on a 14-nanometer process instead of a 16-nanometer process.

There was early some speculation that the chips were divided by model, with the iPhone 6s getting the smaller Samsung chip and the iPhone 6s Plus receiving the larger TSMC chip, but new data collected by an iOS developer suggests that is not the case.

Hiraku Wang has created an app that's able to determine whether an iPhone has a TSMC chip or a Samsung chip, and has shared some data on results gathered from users who have installed his app.

According to results from approximately 2,500 iPhones, there are more TSMC chips than Samsung chips. TSMC chips were found to be installed on 58.96 percent of devices, compared to 41.04 percent for Samsung chips.

The iPhone 6s Plus appears to have relatively equal split of Samsung and TSMC chips, with slightly more Samsung chips. Of 1,329 iPhone 6 Plus devices, 56.81 percent have the Samsung chip while 43.19 percent have the TSMC chip.

With the iPhone 6s, the numbers skew heavily towards the TSMC chip. Of 1,086 devices, 78.27 percent have the TSMC chip while 21.73 percent have the Samsung chip.

At this point in time, there is no evidence that the two chips perform differently, as more extensive testing must be done to determine any performance discrepancies. Though the chips are two different sizes, it's highly unlikely there are going to be performance differences large enough to be noticeable during daily usage.

It is possible for users to check which chip version is installed in their iPhones using Wang's utility, but users should be cautious about installing an app via enterprise certificate from an untrusted developer. We do not recommend MacRumors readers install the app.

Article Link: A9 Chip Manufacturing Split 60/40 Between TSMC and Samsung, Not Segmented by Device Size

 

[bgraham]

No matter how much Apple hates Samsung, they still heavily rely on them to manufacture their products.

 

[macduke]

I'd install this if I could download the source code, look it over and compile it in Xcode on my own device. Otherwise no thanks!

 

[thekeyring]

Was hoping for Samsung. Not sure why other than I trust their brand more (have a Samsung external hard drive and TV).

Got TSMC. Oh, well. Phone still runs like a champ

 

[639051]

Ha .. Macrumors you guys are too funny. Quick correction over the original article :

It is possible for users to check which chip version is installed in their iPhones using Wang's tool, but users should be cautious about installing an app via enterprise certificate from an untrusted developer. We do not recommend MacRumors readers install the app.

 

[gaximus]

I've got TSMC, my battery life is much better then on my regular 6

 

[ghost187]

TSMC NOOOOOO!

 

[magicschoolbus]

if there are performance differences, there's going to be a lot of unhappy customers out there

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

which is slightly smaller in size, having been manufactured on a 14-nanometer process instead of a 16-nanometer process.

It seems to me that going from 14 x 14 vs 16 x 16 should result in it being 3/4 as big... seems like a pretty big size difference to me.

And yet the total surface size was only reduced to 96 mm^2 from 104.5 mm^2... maybe 92%.

Seems to suggest that there's a lot more to the size of these chips than just the size of the process or whatever it is that's being talked about when you say 14nm vs 16nm.

 

[Godzilla71]

As long as my phone is running like it should then I couldn't care less which one I have.

 

[realeric]

I prefer TSMC's. However, I would never install unidentified apps just to check the manufacturer. Once you install the app, your phone number, email address, contact information, credit card info, and passwords might be uploaded to the server. Welcome to open credit score community! PS) If I should, I would reset the iPhone before and after installation.

 

[zakarhino]

Samsung chip.

Battery life on 9.0.1 was rubbish. 9.1 Beta improved it a bit.

 

[cactus_in_uw_gat]

Yes, performance wise this has little impact on performance. But on battery life it does a lot, because a chip with a larger architecture generates more heat.

 

[ill1cit]

iPhone 6S Plus 64gb Space Gray
I got the Samsung s8000

 

[\-V-/]

As long as my phone is running like it should then I could care less which one I have.

How much COULD you care less?

 

[ZBoater]

We do not recommend Macrumors readers install the app. Oh, and here's the link to the app....

 

[7thson]

Is it possible that Apple specified the chip to be manufactured within a size range and each foundry chose theirs according to their manufacturing process? Doesn't seem out of the question.

 

[scaramoosh]

It doesn't even matter, both chips are performing the same :\

 

[chrmjenkins]

TSMC on a 6S Plus here.

 

[Decimotox]

We do not recommend Macrumors readers install the app. Oh, and here's the link to the app....

haha, right? I want to know, but not badly enough to ruin my device/personal info.

 

[Nevaborn]

Could not care less. My 6S Plus works great. Will charge my phone tonight for first time in 3 days.

 

[Nunyabinez]

It seems to me that going from 14 x 14 vs 16 x 16 should result in it being 3/4 as big... seems like a pretty big size difference to me.

And yet the total surface size was only reduced to 96 mm^2 from 104.5 mm^2... maybe 92%.

Seems to suggest that there's a lot more to the size of these chips than just the size of the process or whatever it is that's being talked about when you say 14nm vs 16nm.

It's 14 nanometers vs. 16 nanometers and that referees to how far apart microscopic components of the chip are away from each other, not the dimensions of the chip.

Edit: The nanometre (International spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre ( 0.000000001 m)

 

[Rocketman]

Never underestimate a fanboy's zeal to discover normally private data about their idol.

 

[jdillings]

I can't in good conscience use a iPhone 6s with a Samsung manufactured A9

 

[Daalseth]

Ha .. Macrumors you guys are too funny. Quick correction over the original article :

It is possible for users to check which chip version is installed in their iPhones using Wang's tool, but users should be cautious about installing an app via enterprise certificate from an untrusted developer. We do not recommend MacRumors readers install the app.

When I was in college in the early '80s one of the older professors was trying to put together a proposal for a computer for the lab. It was a Wang computer. A friend of mine who had been away for a year was chatting with someone and asked if anything had happened with the proposal. The guy he was talking to replied "No, there's been no interest in Prof. XXX's Wang in a long time."

Then they both realized what he'd said and totally lost it.