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

[iPhone7ate9]

No they don't. Their higher end TV's, professional displays and monitors are exceptional.

Their storage products are also class leading which you will no doubt dispute.

Their TVs are NOT exceptional, I don't know what you're talking about. Their colors are bad, their clarity is way off. They make terrible TVs end of story.

----------

But you said in the same post you have a Samsung phone!?

And?

I'm not some just random brand racist who doesn't like the brand for no reason. I've had Samsung products a plenty and been around them at a recent job (TVs) to know how terrible they are.

When Apple refused to come out with a large screen iPhone I gave the Galaxy S4 a shot.

 

[usersince86]

Well, this thread has been destroyed by the Samsung/Apple wars.

Here's the main point: A9 chips are coming for iDevices next year. They will be 14nm; these companies will be making them.

Enjoy your products, do something productive and beneficial, contribute positive things to life (including MacRumors). Please stop yelling at each other.

 

[IGregory]

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

Hey, look here, MacRumors explaining the importance of Samsung to Apple. So, you see iPhone6ate9 you are being irrational.

 

[iPhone7ate9]

Not to mention for some reason, Samsung's 4K TV was literally hot to the touch. Constantly overheated and crashed too.

 

[nexusrule]

Their TVs are NOT exceptional, I don't know what you're talking about. Their colors are bad, their clarity is way off. They make terrible TVs end of story.

----------



And?

I'm not some just random brand racist who doesn't like the brand for no reason. I've had Samsung products a plenty and been around them at a recent job (TVs) to know how terrible they are.

When Apple refused to come out with a large screen iPhone I gave the Galaxy S4 a shot.

"Samsung" in the acception you gave it means actually nothing.

"Samsung" consumer products can be an inferior product because they clone other manufacturer products and don't have software expertise.

But "Samsung" as a manufacturer of hardware components (cpus, ssd drives, ram, displays) is the world leader for both quality and volume/price ratio and are used by anyone who wants to build a quality product at reasonable prices.

There is also a "Samsung" that builds ships and buildings, and a "Samsung" that build appliances. While it's always the same company the quality in the work of one of their division doesn't affect the quality of others and there is no reason it should.

 

[iPhone7ate9]

"Samsung" in the acception you gave it means actually nothing.

"Samsung" consumer products can be an inferior product because they clone other manufacturer products and don't have software expertise.

But "Samsung" as a manufacturer of hardware components (cpus, ssd drives, ram, displays) is the world leader for both quality and volume/price ratio and are used by anyone who wants to build a quality product at reasonable prices.

There is also a "Samsung" that builds ships and buildings, and a "Samsung" that build appliances. While it's always the same company the quality in the work of one of their division doesn't affect the quality of others and there is no reason it should.

Well I can see what you're saying; that their individual product lines such as a single chip or an SSD, can be very good. I think their appliances are decent as well but don't have enough experience with them other than being way overpriced. But long story short, if I can avoid them, I will.

 

[pika2000]

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.

This actually worries me. I mean one can say that Samsung is an expert in this business, and if they cannot even get enough yield and/or even drop out (thus sacrificing a huge amount of money on the contract), then maybe there's something wrong with the A8? Doesn't sound too comforting. Maybe I should wait for the A9 powered devices instead.

 

[69Mustang]

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.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you decided your narrative for the day would be "Bash Samsung". To support that narrative you are more than willing to subvert the original topic of components by bringing up TV's. Even then, the argument you bring about TV's is half-assed.

You don't have to like Samsung. Hell, you can hate Samsung with the heat of a thousand suns. But to act like they aren't one of, if not the strongest component makers is just plain obstinate and makes you look a little stupid.

 

[senzung]

When 14nm chips start sporting in new iPxxxs,
please please please dont make them thinner,
my kitchen is filled with capable knives for chopping stuff,
please please please pump in more Lithium juice,
I need iDevices to hold more than 3 days
thank you Jony

 

[iPhone7ate9]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you decided your narrative for the day would be "Bash Samsung". To support that narrative you are more than willing to subvert the original topic of components by bringing up TV's. Even then, the argument you bring about TV's is half-assed.

You don't have to like Samsung. Hell, you can hate Samsung with the heat of a thousand suns. But to act like they aren't one of, if not the strongest component makers is just plain obstinate and makes you look a little stupid.

I guess it depends on which component!

 

[mejsric]

But but this is just rumors... What i've heard is that Samesung chip division is struggling due to Apple's TSMC contract.

I've read it in PatentlyApple month ago. I will try to dig it when im on Mac.

 

[roadbloc]

So much for distancing from Samsung.

 

[foobarbaz]

Oh wow!

The real news here is: If true, Intel is now less than one year ahead of everyone else in terms of their process!

The instruction set overhead is going to become relevant again. That will make Intel's push into mobile even more difficult.

 

[b0nd18t]

Wow is there a lot of anti-samsung chatter in here its hard to even sort through. I think the interesting part of this article is that they are already talking about next years awesome processor. The iPhone 6 I plan to buy is ALREADY outdated!

 

[wizard]

Exactly!

This is possibly the most important issue here, Intel is no longer in possession of a massive lead. ARM base devices will really hum on these processes.

Oh wow!

The real news here is: If true, Intel is now less than one year ahead of everyone else in terms of their process!

The instruction set overhead is going to become relevant again. That will make Intel's push into mobile even more difficult.

Intel can't come to grips with the SOC world as such they will continue to bleed in the mobile space. Even AMD can see the writing on the wall.

 

[osofast240sx]

Wow is there a lot of anti-samsung chatter in here its hard to even sort through. I think the interesting part of this article is that they are already talking about next years awesome processor. The iPhone 6 I plan to buy is ALREADY outdated!

In terms of chips and processes it's called a roadmap, that does not make it outdated.

 

[Plutonius]

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

Yep, I don't worry about who makes the components in my Apple products. I just refuse to buy Samsung branded products (phone, TV, etc.).

 

[Forbius]

The sooner Apple can stop using Samsung foundries completely the better.
At least the fact that Apple is indeed slowly reducing their dependency from them shows that Samsung isn't irreplaceable. Hopefully in a few years most components will be made by other companies, and eventually even in-house. That would be great.

 

[Rogifan]

Well, this thread has been destroyed by the Samsung/Apple wars.

Here's the main point: A9 chips are coming for iDevices next year. They will be 14nm; these companies will be making them.

Enjoy your products, do something productive and beneficial, contribute positive things to life (including MacRumors). Please stop yelling at each other.

But that doesn't produce the necessary page views every internet site is after these days.

 

[Forbius]

There is a reason why Apple hasn't even in-housed the assembly of the phones, let alone component manufacturing.

Because they don't have the capacity to manage assembly.
Maybe they could make components though. I think it would be a good thing.
Apple always seeks more integration.

 

[827538]

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

Samsung actually make pretty good semiconductor components like NAND flash, DRAM, processors etc which are in most consumer products.

 

[TC400]

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

----------



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

----------



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

If you really hate Samsung that much you might as well not use any electronic devices chances are it has a samsung component inside of it.

 

[krspkbl]

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

hate to break it to you but a lot of stuff has samsung chips in it. you'd be surprised where you'd find them. so they obviously aren't rubbish.

samsung make products such as:

smartphones,
tablets,
tv's,
blu ray players,
home audio,
cameras/camcorders,
lenses,
laptops,
desktops,
washing machines,
dishwashers,
fridges,
ovens,
microwaves,
and vacuum cleaners.

so you bet they'd be selling their parts to other companies to put in their own products. if you want to avoid samsung...GOOD LUCK!

 

[brendu]

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

Samsung makes among the best chips available. I dislike much about Samsung but their chips and components are top notch.

 

[zipa]

Maybe they could make components though. I think it would be a good thing.
Apple always seeks more integration.

What integration is there to be had from the tedious, expensive, error-prone and time consuming operation of chip fabrication, when they already design the chips themselves? How would things be different if there was an Apple logo on the front door of the chip fab plant as opposed to TSMC or Samsung?

And not only would the have to get hands dirty with the manufacturing, they would also have to constantly research and develop their processes in order to just keep up with the competition, instead of just being able to reap all the benefits from whichever manufacturer or researcher comes up with something new and exiting in the industry.

And what would they do with excess capacity? Sell their A9 chips to competitors? Tool up separate production lines to crunch out cheap Snapdragons for the lowest bidders?

And what happens when demand suddenly peaks and iPhone orders are getting backlogged? Just tell the public to wait a year or two while they build a new plant and things will be just peachy?

Now multiply (or more likely raise to the power of) these issues with the amount of components to in-house, and you will very clearly see why this is a terrible idea and why every manufacturer in every single industry is not doing it and probably never will.