Samsung to Produce A9 Chips for Apple's Next-Generation Devices

[danakin]

Except Apple users used to be held to a higher standard of intelligence. That apparently has slipped significantly over the past decade.

Stories like this serve to remind all those idiots that post "Samsung sucks" and "Samsung just steal from Apple" whenever Samsung announce a new phone, that Samsung is actually a massive collection of engineering and technology divisions with areas of expertise that Apple cannot match. Hard to criticize a story reminding users that it's components are integral to Apple on many levels.

Maybe you need reminding as well. You can actually respect what Samsung manufacture without being labelled a pariah "Samsung Supporter" and also like Apple products too.

Shocking concept I know.

Your post is far too sensible for a substantial % of people who frequent this board.

I'll never understand the fanatical; almost religious, devotion some have for these companies - not just Apple but Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc. As tech. consumers we should celebrate successes from wherever they come - NEWS FLASH: it spurs innovation!!!

A few truths:

• Each of these companies has stolen, borrowed, or copied from someone else.
• In the end, they all are vying for one thing: more profits (ROI) to satisfy shareholders.
• As public companies it's their responsibility to do that.
• Blind devotion doesn't help progress it stifles it.

 

[MacBH928]

But I still didn't buy iphone 6 yet...

 

[shiming]

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp...944d346268fc487e551bdc5c0&elqCampaignId=21539

TSMC sues Samsung...

 

[dampfnudel]

But I still didn't buy iphone 6 yet...

At this point, you may want to wait for the next iPhone.

 

[MacBH928]

At this point, you may want to wait for the next iPhone.

sarcasm aside , its indeed stunning that iphone 6 supply is pretty much dry (think outside US). The rollout schedule has just ended yesterday being released on Indonesia (huge market, 230M).

 

[viorelgn]

What's interesting here is with this process, Apple has caught up to Intel. Now, there will be no easy performance gains left for a few years, except for smaller ones from the improvement of this 14nm process. It will force Apple, and other SoC manufacturers to concentrate on improving the designs as much as can be done on the same process.

 

[dampfnudel]

The A9 (like the A8 was) is reserved for the cutting edge smartphones and there's VERY limited production capacity for the A9 in 2015. Apple already started producing the A9 at Samsung, because they need absolutely everything Samsung can make for their iPhones.

It's not like there is a choice. You will always use your high-end SoCs where they make the most sense first. The A8X is a different SoC that is solely targetted for the bigger iPads, which also have a way larger battery then the iPhone ever will. The bigger iPads is where Apple can go all-out, but iPhone is where it actually matters for Apple. Their whole strategy is based on iPhone first.

The A8 at least technologically is good enough for the mini, don't get your hopes up. If Apple decides otherwise, then because they want to broaden the range of sold devices with new technology that only the A9/A9X will have. But this won't happen too soon, since Samsung can only produce a limited amount of SoCs this year, their wafer output is limited and so is the yields of 14nm in the first year in mass production.

If Apple can only give the iPad mini 4 the A8, why bother? What will make up for it, an improved display equal to the display on the iPad Air 2 or iPhone 6 Plus? Will the iPad mini 4 only get 1GB of RAM, another strike against it? I don't think Apple wants to offer a second disappointing iPad mini model resulting in poor sales.

 

[kdarling]

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp...944d346268fc487e551bdc5c0&elqCampaignId=21539

TSMC sues Samsung...

No, they're not.

TSMC is suing an ex-employee who went to work for Samsung, for breach of contract. They claim he must've given them trade secrets.

The comments by EEs after the story are interesting:

• How TSMC themselves started with stolen engineers.
• That the technology that was supposedly taken was on the way anyway.
• Noted that in some places like the US, non-compete contracts aren't legal.

Moreover, apparently Taiwan fought against protecting trade secrets for years, and only recently changed their mind when their own country started getting stolen from.

Interesting how it all works out.

 

[chrmjenkins]

No, they're not.

TSMC is suing an ex-employee who went to work for Samsung, for breach of contract. They claim he must've given them trade secrets.

The comments by EEs after the story are interesting:

• How TSMC themselves started with stolen engineers.
• That the technology that was supposedly taken was on the way anyway.
• Noted that in some places like the US, non-compete contracts aren't legal.

Moreover, apparently Taiwan fought against protecting trade secrets for years, and only recently changed their mind when their own country started getting stolen from.

Interesting how it all works out.

Here's a better overview of what transpired: http://english.cw.com.tw/article.do?action=show&id=14895

 

[827538]

I really don't get this, when I switched from the iPhone 5 to the 6 Plus, there was nearly no difference in crispness with the 401 ppi vs the 326 ppi. The only difference it made was that when I hold the phone's display super close to my eyes, it's much harder to notice the individual pixels. I don't care whether Apple or anyone else does it, increasing pixel density is pointless under normal use.

Pixel density and quality is a graph of diminishing returns. After a certain point, as you increase the pixel density the graph falls like a cliff with other impacts such as battery life. I can't wait for the Android phones with 4K.

I agree with you to a certain point. Seeing some makers pushing out 1440 or even 4k displays on large smartphones is just stupid and requires more powerful backlights and processors. But using a 1080p standard is good for develops and for viewing nearly all video content in its native resolution.