April 28, 2024

Apple to Drop Samsung As Manufacturing Partner for Both A10 and A11 Chip?

Posted July 18, 2016 at 12:37pm by iClarified · 11338 views
Apple has reportedly selected TSMC as its exclusive manufacturing partner for the upcoming A10 and A11 processors cutting out Samsung, reports the Economic Daily News via DigiTimes.

TSMC is already the exclusive manufacturer of Apple's A10 chip which will power the upcoming iPhone series slated for launch in September 2016. The Taiwan-based foundry will continue to be the sole supplier of Apple's next-generation A11 processor that will be built on a 10nm FinFET process, the report indicated, without citing its sources.

TSMC has reportedly already begun to tape out the design for the A11 processor and could start small volume production as early as 2Q17.

TSMC co-CEO Mark Liu recently revealed that "our first 10nm customer product has been produced with satisfactory functional yield. So far, three customer products have been taped out to us." The 10nm process is expected to start generating revenue in 1Q17 and revenues "will ramp steeply throughout 2017," according to Liu.

Apple is expected to unveil an A10 processor with the upcoming and 'iPhone 7' and will likely debut the A11 processor with a major redesign of the iPhone in 2017.

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