Some of the biggest tech product companies in the world might be struggling with constrained supplies of processor chips in the weeks to come. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the largest chip manufacturer in the world, was revealed to have been hit with a computer virus on Friday, resulting in temporary closure of several production factories and disruption of operations.
Apple's efforts to commercialize MicroLED panels could hit stores from 2019, a new report claims, with the firm targeting displays for an upscale Apple Watch, AR glasses, and larger products like MacBooks. The new screen technology has distinct advantages over Apple's current LCD and OLED panels, including brighter screens, lower power consumption, and thinner assemblies.
Ever since Apple went into the business of making mobile processors for itself, it has adopted a sort of tick-tock rhythm like Intel. It announces a new AN process in a new iPhone to be followed by a new ANX chip for an iPad, specifically an iPad Pro. With the iPhone 8 and iPhone X running on a spanking new A11 Bionic processor, it’s expected that the next iPad Pro will have an A11X Bionic in turn. What wasn’t expected until now is just how powerful and how small it would be.
Foxconn chairman Terry Gou was tipped to host a visit from Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams in Taiwan later this week. Williams is reportedly visiting Taiwan for the 30th anniversary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), with an event taking place on October 23rd. It is likely Foxconn's assembly of the iPhone X and potential supply constraints will be on the table during the chat between the company executives.
When it comes to making the beating heart of the iPhone, competition between chip-makers is fierce, and 2018 looks set to be no different. Despite reports that Samsung will sneak back into the 2018 iPhone as the manufacturer of the Apple A12, there are now conflicting claims that, in reality, another Apple partner will get the coveted - and lucrative - spot. Chatter from Taipei suggests that it's in fact TSMC that will seal the deal.
Samsung will once again produce the processors Apple needs for the company's best selling product according to a report from Korea. This move would place Samsung's chipmaking factories back in line with iPhone hardware after losing their contract with Apple to TSMC in the year 2013. That was a chip contract loss for the history books.
Newer doesn’t always mean better, especially when it actually makes things worse. For all the benefits that the new 10 nm FinFET manufacturing process has for making silicon, it could put a dent in the schedule of smartphone makers in the long run. Sources are now reporting that the yields for 10 nm chips are lower than expected and it is causing smartphone manufacturers to delay shipments of their smartphones to late in the second quarter, perhaps even later.
It's rather common with new iPhone launches for there to be a shortage of the devices leaving a number of folks who want them unable to purchase. The delay with some previous models was in getting enough chips to power the smartphones. To eliminate that issue with the new iPhone 6s launch, Apple is using chips from two different makers- Samsung and TSMC.
In the tech industry, the term "frenemies" isn't entirely new. Companies that lambast each other in public usually have quieter, friendly deals in some corners. Despite the almost toxic rivalry between Apple and Samsung, the Korean manufacturer has been, at several points in time, a supplier of components for Cupertino's devices. And now, despite the perceived tension between Qualcomm and Samsung, the San Diego, California chip maker is now rumored to be looking at Samsung's foundries for making its next high-end chip, the Snapdragon 820.
Next year, Apple is expected to produce iterative updates to their existing hardware lineup. In these new devices, Apple will also bring a new chipset, as they’re wont to do. While Samsung was previously mentioned as being a big part of the process, producing the incoming A9 chipset, it seems they may have been outclassed. A new report out of Taiwan notes that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will be awarded the bulk of Apple’s A9 business, leaving Samsung playing second fiddle.
The relationship between Samsung and Apple is interesting to say the least. The two firms are fighting in courts as we speak over patent infringement and other things. While the firms fight for dominance in court and the smartphone industry, Apple pays Samsung huge amounts of money to build processors for its smartphones.
