TSMC reportedly sole supplier of next-gen 'iPhone 7' A-series chip
A report claims Apple will rely solely on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to produce the next-generation system-on-chip design destined to power this year's iPhone hardware refresh, beating out longtime Apple partner Samsung.
Citing industry sources, the Electronic Times says TSMC has won exclusive rights to manufacture Apple's new chip, to be called "A10" if naming conventions continue, reports Reuters. The Taiwan-based firm supposedly beat Samsung in the race to scale 10-nanometer process technology.
Today's report jibes with recent rumors and analysis suggesting TSMC's advanced InFO (integrated fan out) architecture out classed Samsung capabilities. InFO tech stacks embedded chips on top of each for direct mounting on a circuit board, reducing thickness and weight.
If true, the change would be a massive shift from Apple's current supply chain strategy. Estimates peg Samsung production of A9 chip production at as much as 70 percent, with TSMC picking up the slack.
Apple is widely expected to launch a redesigned "iPhone 7" during the usual fall iPhone update window. While the current A9 SoC is an extremely capable processor, it might not be enough to support the dual rear-facing cameras Apple is rumored to include in this year's flagship handset. Other high-end features thought to debut alongside iPhone 7 include wireless charging, a potential shift away from the aging 3.5mm headphone jack and a thinner chassis.
While the "A10" chip is likely bound for iPhone, more powerful variants are expected to power next-gen iPad models. Supplier breakdowns for those specialized SoCs has not been revealed.
Citing industry sources, the Electronic Times says TSMC has won exclusive rights to manufacture Apple's new chip, to be called "A10" if naming conventions continue, reports Reuters. The Taiwan-based firm supposedly beat Samsung in the race to scale 10-nanometer process technology.
Today's report jibes with recent rumors and analysis suggesting TSMC's advanced InFO (integrated fan out) architecture out classed Samsung capabilities. InFO tech stacks embedded chips on top of each for direct mounting on a circuit board, reducing thickness and weight.
If true, the change would be a massive shift from Apple's current supply chain strategy. Estimates peg Samsung production of A9 chip production at as much as 70 percent, with TSMC picking up the slack.
Apple is widely expected to launch a redesigned "iPhone 7" during the usual fall iPhone update window. While the current A9 SoC is an extremely capable processor, it might not be enough to support the dual rear-facing cameras Apple is rumored to include in this year's flagship handset. Other high-end features thought to debut alongside iPhone 7 include wireless charging, a potential shift away from the aging 3.5mm headphone jack and a thinner chassis.
While the "A10" chip is likely bound for iPhone, more powerful variants are expected to power next-gen iPad models. Supplier breakdowns for those specialized SoCs has not been revealed.
Comments
The only part of Samsung 'bottoming out' is their heavy machinery manufacturing and petrochemical production divisions. What are you referring to?
2.6% of Samsung Electronic's total marketshare is coming from Apple, and the vast majority of that is NAND and DRAM. Apple isn't going to cut those out, because they're leading the world in those technologies right now. They don't need to 'fill that capacity' at all.
Snapdragons are used by Samsung phones (1st in global marketshare), Huawei (3rd), and Xiaomi (4th) - that's 40% of the smartphone market right there. I don't think that's 'nobody'.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-projected-to-be-the-worlds-biggest-chip-buyer-in-2016-Samsung-has-its-business-cut-for-it_id77967
Android have 85% of world market share - so that's 'what'. What you, I or anyone else thinks is irrelevant. All Samsung have to do is make those processors and sell them for a profit. It doesn't matter if Qualcom dump them in the sea so long as they abide by their contract and Pay Samsung for making them.
Wow. How butt hurt can you get?
You are the one who's butt-hurt as you know I am right. Taiwan has just suffered a serious earthquake, with 130 lives lost, unfortunately. Fabs have had production runs lost and are having to re-calibrate equipment. A larger quake nearer the fabs would have far more serious consequences with down-time measured in years.
Well, I'm not convinced the story is true. We hear something like this every year, and every year, Samsung picks up part of the contract. It's unlikely that TMSC on its own has the capacity to meet Apple's demands (and I don't think they will have for some time yet), so I fully expect Samsung to pick up some of the work again. Cook is not the kind of chap to hurt production and his customers just to score a point over Samsung.
But gotta love the way you're gleefully rubbing your hands at the prospect of a major catastrophe so that Apple has to beg Samsung for help. As I said: butt hurt.
(Just fanning the flames a little.)