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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple may shift production of its 14-nanometer next-generation chips for iPhone from TSMC to Samsung, according to information compiled by Reuters.
TSMC will be supplanted by Samsung in the production of 14-nanometre smartphone chips for Apple and Qualcomm beginning in the second half of 2015, KGI Securities analyst Michael Liu said in a note to clients issued late on Wednesday after a TSMC investor conference.
Taiwanese media reports say Apple partner Qualcomm has already begun working with Samsung on the new chips and has already begun placing orders for them.

Last week, a report indicated that TSMC had begun shipping A-series chips to Apple in Q2 2014, ending the longstanding exclusivity deal Apple had with Samsung to produce smartphone chips. The deal, which was agreed to last year, was part of Apple's bid to decrease reliance on Samsung for iOS device components. Additionally, TSMC had been mass producing 20-nanometer chips for Apple and is working with the company on 16-nanometer chips.

However, it appears Apple will be turning to Samsung for the 14-nanometer variety that is rumored to be the A9 processor in next fall's iPhone 6s. TSMC Chairman Morris Chang does say that the company will rebound in 2016 and regain market share, possibly hinting that another deal with Apple is possible for future iOS devices.

Article Link: Apple May Shift Next-Generation Chip Production From TSMC to Samsung
 

Stewie

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2004
527
376
Austin
Is this article poorly written or have I had too much to drink tonight?

And you fixed it before I could quote how you got the A9 going into this falls iPhone 6, not next falls 6s.

At least I know it wasn't me. :)
 

lolkthxbai

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2011
1,426
489
Rumors about the iPhone 6s already? Oh boy :) iPhone Air can't get here any quicker
 

gavroche

macrumors 65816
Oct 25, 2007
1,467
1,597
Left Coast
Is this article poorly written or have I had too much to drink tonight?

And you fixed it before I could quote how you got the A9 going into this falls iPhone 6, not next falls 6s.

At least I know it wasn't me. :)

You are too coherent to have been drinking too much. Unless you hide it very well (what do they call that... a functioning alcoholic? :D)

I suppose now we get to read lots of nonsense about the whole samsung/anti samsung as a supplier nonsense. Apple is always going to keep as many options available as possible, and leverage these companies against each other for as much bargaining power as possible. Pure business... nothing personal.
 

Stewie

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2004
527
376
Austin
You are too coherent to have been drinking too much. Unless you hide it very well (what do they call that... a functioning alcoholic? :D)

I suppose now we get to read lots of nonsense about the whole samsung/anti samsung as a supplier nonsense. Apple is always going to keep as many options available as possible, and leverage these companies against each other for as much bargaining power as possible. Pure business... nothing personal.

I am a professional. Been doing it for a long time. And alcoholics go to meetings, I am just a drunk. :)
 

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HangmanSwingset

macrumors 6502
Feb 28, 2011
330
253
Everett, WA
Kind of seems like TSMC can only satisfy Apple or Nvidia... Not both somehow. Especially with the Maxwell architecture originally being planned on being built on the 20nm process... Instead it's looking like the GTX 800 series is going to stick to 28nm. I wonder if it's because of priority on the A8 on 20nm...
 

bushman4

macrumors 601
Mar 22, 2011
4,136
3,858
Sounds early To being making a call like that
So many thing could change. Only thing is that Apple likes to have more than one supplier for everything
 

cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,413
711
Wasn't the last rumour that Apple was moving from Samsung to TSMC?

These analysts do flip flop don't they!

The flip flopping here is nonsense. I visit Android sites and the majority of rumors/stories end up being true. You just don't see the same level of bad reporting like you see here. Here it's almost a guarantee that the story is going to get changed every other day based on what a faceless source tells them.
This site is like the digital Apple tabloids of the web. You still look at the front cover at the checkout line but you know that you can't buy the crap their selling.
 

rp2011

macrumors 68030
Oct 12, 2010
2,528
2,912
Wasn't the last rumour that Apple was moving from Samsung to TSMC?

These analysts do flip flop don't they!

Its called "shopping"

Looking for and buying the best product at the prices you are willing to pay. Sticking with or leaving a vendor out of loyalty or spite is bad business. It says Apple is a sensible shopper, not a narrow midined ideological one.
 

tdtran1025

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2011
275
0
I really dont understanding why Apple has not turned to Intel despite Intel chairman had hinted at such invitation. If their iWatch takes off, it is likely that their entire arsenal could benefit from 14nm process, and spreading out to 3,4 different vendors would only help.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
I really dont understanding why Apple has not turned to Intel despite Intel chairman had hinted at such invitation. If their iWatch takes off, it is likely that their entire arsenal could benefit from 14nm process, and spreading out to 3,4 different vendors would only help.

Intel has yet to take on a high volume 3rd party. There may be a lot of logistics preventing it even if the process advantage is there in Apple's eyes.
 

SeaFox

macrumors 68030
Jul 22, 2003
2,640
1,012
Somewhere Else
The flip flopping here is nonsense. I visit Android sites and the majority of rumors/stories end up being true. You just don't see the same level of bad reporting like you see here. Here it's almost a guarantee that the story is going to get changed every other day based on what a faceless source tells them.
This site is like the digital Apple tabloids of the web. You still look at the front cover at the checkout line but you know that you can't buy the crap their selling.

:eek: You mean a rumor site may carry information that's not true?
 

ArmCortexA8

macrumors 65816
Feb 18, 2010
1,085
213
Terra Australis
Talk about yo-yoing between companies this is ridiculous. Either use two companies to provide whats required simultaneously (50/50), or stick to one. This shuffling just causing confusion. I can only image in who has the most $$$ to do this. I know Apple is trying to reduce demand on Samsung, but Samsung has the upper hand and making money from Apple.

Plus Apple vs Samsung are still suing each other while still making money out of each other. Thats F'd up. Hell if someone was suing me I would cease all dealings with the company. I have rarely heard of two companies suing each other still trading with each other as if nothing is wrong.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Talk about yo-yoing between companies this is ridiculous. Either use two companies to provide whats required simultaneously (50/50), or stick to one. This shuffling just causing confusion. I can only image in who has the most $$$ to do this. I know Apple is trying to reduce demand on Samsung, but Samsung has the upper hand and making money from Apple.

Plus Apple vs Samsung are still suing each other while still making money out of each other. Thats F'd up. Hell if someone was suing me I would cease all dealings with the company. I have rarely heard of two companies suing each other still trading with each other as if nothing is wrong.

IC products are not something you can switch easily back and forth between fab companies unless they have explicit agreements (such as global foundries and samsung do), to sync up on their fab processes to make designs portable.

Each design must be verified against their foundry of choice's design rules. To have two suppliers such as Samsung and TSMC for a chip, they'd more or less be designing the same chip twice ($$) or loosening their requirements to satisfy both foundries' design rules (sacrifice performance, area, power).

It would be possible in a scenario where the IC designer hands off some HDL code and the fab partner synthesizes it for them, but Apple is on the opposite end of that spectrum. They design their own ICs with detailed, custom layout.
 
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