Apple Shifts A6X Processor Manufacturing Deal From Samsung To TSMC

By Shailesh Shrivastava email: s.shrivastava@mobilenapps.com | Jan 03, 2013 01:29 AM EST

Share This Story

  • Print
  • Email

The fight between Apple and Samsung has resulted in one more loss for Samsung. According to a new report in a Taiwanese newspaper, Apple has given contract of producing its A6X processor to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Follow us

So far, Samsung had been the main supplier of Apple, producing screens, processors, and memory drives for its iDevices. The Cupertino-based tech giant's renowned A4, A5, and A6 processors were also coming from Samsung's Austin-based manufacturing unit.

Apple launched its most sophisticated processor, A6X, with the fourth generation iPad. Based on an ARM reference design, the quad-core A6X chip delivers a maximum clock speed of 1.4GHz with graphics processing supplied by a PowerVR SGX554MP4 graphics processing unit.

According to the report in Taiwanese newspaper, The Commercial Times, the new contract to manufacture 28nm A6X will kick-off with a three-month trial production period during the current quarter.

This is not the first time the reports of Apple shifting its processor and chip manufacturing deal from Samsung are surfacing. In September last, reports suggested that Apple had been reducing its orders from Samsung as it tried to looking for other options for its lines of supply for memory chips.

There were rumors that Apple had picked Japan's Toshiba Corp, Elpida Memory and Korea's SK Hynix to supply DRAM and NAND chips.

According to an earlier Reuters report, "Samsung is still in the list of initial memory chip suppliers (for new iPhones). But Apple orders have been trending down and Samsung is making up for the reduced order from others, notably Samsung's handset business."

In October last, there were talks about the Apple-TSMC deal. However, a KoeaTimes report set all the speculations aside saying: "Apple has been in talks with Samsung over shipment of its A6 quad-core mobile processor (AP) chips to be used in the next iPhone. It appears that Apple clearly has concluded that Samsung remains a critical business partner."

"The manufacturing process at TSMC hasn't been stabilized. Considering Apple's previous patterns of adopting qualified technologies, Apple isn't taking risks. Samsung offers better pricing and capacity commitment for the A6 mobile APs," an official from a different Apple supplier said backing Samsung's pricing policy and commitment.

Get the Most Popular Mobile&Apps Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

© 2013 Mobile & Apps All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join Our Conversation

Smartphones
ZTE Grand SZTE Grand S Release Date In U.S. Put On Hold Until 2014
Nokia Yet Again Sues HTC Over Patent Infringement
Nexus 4 Rocking Android 4.3 Version Stars In New Photos, Video
HTC Desire 600 Now Official: Quad-Core Mid-Range Smartphone With Beats Audio, BlinkFeed
Tablet / Laptop / PC
Discounted Prices For Refurbished iPad 4Apple Drops Prices On Refurbished iPad Mini, iPad 4 Tablets
Hisense Introduces Sero 7 Tablets With $99 Starting Price To Challenge Nexus 7
Sony Xperia Tablet Z Gets Dunked In A Fishtank, Survives
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 Stars In New Video
Gadgets
Google GlassGoogle Glass Is Creepy, Says Early Glass User
Xbox One And PlayStation 4: On The Matter Of Shared And Used Games
Recharge Your Phone In 20 Seconds With This Revolutionary Device
Ouya Will Be At E3 2013, But Not Where You Think
OS / Software
Android 4.3 Jelly BeanNexus 4 Rocking Android 4.3 Version Stars In New Photos, Video
Former Nokia Team Jolla, Announces First Sailfish Powered Smartphone For Asia
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Samsung Galaxy S3 Transform It Into Galaxy S4 (To Some Extent)
iOS 7 To Come With Flickr, Vimeo Integration
Internet / Social Media
FaceTimeAT&T Promises Cellular Video Calls, Mobile Video Chat For All Customers
Flickr Boasts 'Spectacular' Redesign, Offers A Whopping 1TB Of FREE Storage
Download 40 GB In A Second: Researchers Set Up World's Fastest Wi-Fi Network In Germany
YouTube Shoppable Videos - Will Google Hit A New Jackpot?
What's App
NBA Jam Windows PhoneTiger Woods 12 and NBA Jam Are The Latest EA Sports Games To Come Exclusive To Nokia Lumia
Microsoft YouTube App For Windows Phone Still Up And Running Despite Google Takedown Notice
Pandora Updates Web And Mobile Apps With Easier Facebook Sharing
Nokia Launched LiveSight For HERE Maps On Windows Phone 8

DON'T MISS

Galaxy Tab 3
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 Stars In New Video
Samsung announced its new Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 Android Jelly Bean tablet at the end of April, but a new
Huawei Ascend Mate
Nokia And Huawei Working On 6-Inch Phablets, Claim Report
Phablets have become popular due to the Samsung Galaxy Note line of devices, so it is no surprise
Nokia Carl Zeiss Optics
Nokia To Unleash Lumia EOS Smartphone With 41-Megapixel Camera In July
The world's best camera phone is almost here, as the Nokia Lumia 'EOS' will reportedly launch in
Hisense Sero 7 Pro and Sero 7 LT Tablets
Hisense Introduces Sero 7 Tablets With $99 Starting Price To Challenge Nexus 7
Hisense unveiled its new Sero 7 tablets that will likely give the Nexus 7 a run for its money with
Microsoft YouTube App Windows Phone 8
Microsoft YouTube App For Windows Phone Still Up And Running Despite Google Takedown Notice
Breathe a sigh of relief, Windows Phone 8 fanboys, as the YouTube app is still alive and kicking.
Xperia Tablet Z
Sony Xperia Tablet Z Gets Dunked In A Fishtank, Survives
A Sony Xperia Tablet Z user decided to test the tablet's waterproof capabilities by placing it in a

Samsung Galaxy S4 In New Color Options
Samsung Galaxy S4 Sells 10M Units In First Month, More Color Options Coming This Summer
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone sells faster than any of its predecessors, reaching
Sprint 4G LTE
More BlackBerry Devices On The Way, Says Sprint
If you were left impressed with the major releases from BlackBerry earlier this year viz. BlackBerry
Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean Update
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Samsung Galaxy S3 Transform It Into Galaxy S4 (To Some Extent)
The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware for the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been leaked and many users of
LG Optimus GJ
LG Optimus GJ Waterproof Smartphone Now Official, Will Sport $600 Price Tag
LG has just unveiled the Optimus GJ smartphone, its first high-end waterproof handset. Optimus GJ
Copyright © 2013 Mobile & Apps All rights reserved. mobilenapps
Real Time Analytics