A product teardown of both the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus devices last week confirmed earlier reports that Apple is indeed opting for TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) to produce the 20nm, second generation 64-bit A8 chip that drives the new iPhones. Research firm IHS, however, has shared a teardown analysis report with Re/code that claims Samsung is still responsible for a fraction of Apple’s A8 chips produced.
Rassweiler said the processor he saw during the teardown was manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the massive chip-factory-for-hire based in Taipei. […] Rassweiler says TSMC is manufacturing about 60 percent of the chips for Apple, while Samsung is still turning about about 40 percent.
Which company Apple chooses to produce the chip that powers its iPhones and iPads has long been the center of attention for many observers, especially as competition and litigation between Apple and Samsung continues.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that TSMC would produce Apple’s A8 chip, which we’ve now seen in each teardown of the new iPhone thus far. Apple relying on TSMC for producing the processor that powers its popular iOS devices is crucial to distancing itself from smartphone rival Samsung, but IHS’s claim that Samsung is still responsible for four out of ten A8 chips shows that Apple is still largely dependent on its competitor in 2014.
Early reports on the next generation, likely 16nm “A9” chip expected from Apple in 2015 have claimed TSMC will again produce Apple’s chip for another year, although several reports share the same prediction for Samsung.
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Where are all those people who have said they’d never own anything samsung hardware in it?
I’ve always felt in business like this you need to put you need to put your mutual gripes aside and be coopetitive when it makes sense. If Apple needs supply from Samsung to get the overall yield rates they need to keep up with demand, so be it. From what I’ve seen, Samsung is and has for a long time been amongst their highest quality/reliable suppliers.
IIRC, back when those early Retina MacBook Pro had those flawed displays with yellow tints, it turned out to be mostly if not entirely a problem with LG’s displays and Samsung’s were higher quality.
For me, as a consumer, that’s all that matters.
BULLSHIT without reference and documentation. Evidence, where is it? That entire report, to anyone involved in tech manufacturing, reeks of incompetency and fantasy, reminiscent of iSuppli which completely fabricated every single one of its figures.
TSMC is now and has been for some time, second to known in contract fab.
“none” – “second to none”
9to5, how about an EDIT feature in this miserable commenting system?
Apple often uses multiple companies for their chips. Even their enemy.
Not really sure why this is a surprise if true. Given the massive demand for iPhones (and iPads when they announce them using this same SoC later in the year) it stands to reason that you can’t necessarily have a single supplier for your parts. Samsung simply have the manufacturing capacity, Apple have money. Samsung like money. Even Samsung devices have parts not made by Samsung because they don’t always have the fab capacity because they’re used by competitors.
Samsung have in the past been known to take Apple contracts over Samsung contracts (they’re made up of many sub divisions, the mobile division being separate from the semi conductor one) because Apple paid more and in cash, up front. They tender contracts like any 3rd party for manufacturing capacity.