14 DAY TRIAL // A report from TechNews Taiwan citing no sources states that Samsung has dropped out of Apple’s A8 chip production, giving all orders to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
A rough Google translation of the report in question reads, “Previously reported Samsung (Samsung) in the production of apples A series processors run into the problem of poor yields, TSMC (TSMC) have access to orders from Apple processor.”
“However, according to the latest available news, TSMC 20nm technology will produce the next generation of the full processor A8, A7 and then left full Samsung.”
To make it clear for everyone, Samsung will continue to be partners with Apple, but only for the production of A7 processors (and perhaps even A6 chips, as the Cupertino giant continues to sell devices that use this spec).
The A8 SoC (system on a chip) will be made using a 20 nanometer process at TSMC’s fabs.
Apple’s iPhone 6 will be first in line to employ the A8 chip. The company is said to be planning an iPad Air upgrade for this year, with a faster processor and other updates. The rumored 13-inch iPad “Pro” is coming out in 2015, according to research done by KGI Securities.
Apple’s focus this year will be the iPhone 6 coupled with the reported iWatch launch, and a rumored Apple TV refresh.
iPhone 6 will most likely sport a new design, while the other two products will be category-defining products, according to the latest industry chatter.
Apple wants to break new boundaries in 2014, and investors are pressuring the Cupertino giant to take faster, bolder steps in annihilating the competition (i.e. Samsung with its big-screen phablets and Google with its Android OS).
The first launch event is expected in spring, but the biggest unveilings are probably scheduled for summer (WWDC 14).