tsmc

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Further feeding the rumors surrounding Apple's next chip, Taiwanese media are reporting that the privilege of manufacturing the A8 has been awarded to TSMC. This creates a further gap between Apple and frenemy Samsung, who is gradually losing its grip on Apple's chip making needs.

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Apple is said to be using Samsung to build the A9 mobile chips for the iPhone and iPad in 2015, another sign that the firm's attempts to extricate itself from its rival's production expertise are struggling. Although Apple had switched to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) for its A-series chip production starting in 2014, according to The Korea Economic Daily it's Samsung's expertise in 14nm manufacturing that has won back Apple's business.

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Panasonic isn't just looking to get out of the plasma TV business but to shed its little-loved smartphone division too, Japanese reports claim, with HTC and chip fab TSMC tipped as potential bedfellows for the mobile team. Having seen its ELUGA range of waterproof phones fail to gain traction, Panasonic is considering shedding the ailing division altogether, the Sankei Shimbun reports, with insiders pointing to some unexpected interest.

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With the pattern ringing true for some time now, it's not unbelievable in the slightest when one hears a tip of a so-called "A7" chip in Apple's future for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. What's slightly more questionable is the possibility that part of the production of this chip might be done by Intel. With word of Apple aiming to pull away from Samsung in their chip production across the board having been an unofficial understanding for quite a few months now, it seems that Intel might be aiming to grab a piece of the pie.

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Apple's attempts to extricate itself from reliance on Samsung components continue, with titters from Taiwan that TSMC will begin trial production of the Apple A6X chip (found in the latest iPad with Retina) ahead of a bid for the next-gen A7 contract. The test will kick off in Q1 2013, The China Times reports, with TSMC producing a new, 28nm version of the existing 32nm A6X that Samsung has been producing for the full-sized iPad 4th-gen; the smaller chip, which will likely be more power efficient as well, will debut in a new iPad 5th-gen and iPad mini 2.

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