Apple could be leaning on the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), instead of Samsung, for the production of the A6 processors for their mobile devices, according to an analyst from Merrill Lynch.
According to Merrill Lynch semiconductor analyst Dan Heyler, Apple and TSMC are now having talks to have the latter produce Apple’s next-generation ARM SoCs (A6 processors) in 2012. With the two smartphone giants’ legal battle over the similarities between Samsung’s Galaxy line of products and Apple’s devices, Apple is rumored to move away from Samsung in 2012.
Samsung is the current manufacturer of Apple’s A4 and A5 processors and a previously reported move by Apple to the Taiwan-based TSMC for ARM-based chips did not really pan out. Instead, Apple stuck with Samsung to manufacture A5 chips using its 45-nanometer process.
Now, Ars Technica reports that the company plans to move from Samsung to TSMC for another contract to make 28-nanometer A6 chips.
It is also reported that Apple could run to Intel, the leading manufacturer of x86-based chips, to manufacture its A6 processors using Intel’s 22-nanometer, TriGate process technology, if the company can accommodate the ARM-based architecture of A6.
In other news, a Morgan Stanley analyst has reported that Apple will ramp up its production of its new iPhone 5 smartphone in August. This means that they are preparing for a release sometime in September.
Will Apple’s move from Samsung to TSMC be beneficial to the company?
