Most launch-day Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus units said to come with Samsung-made A9 chips
According to a new report, both Samsung and TSMC have begun volume production of the Apple A9 chipset, the SoC that will power the upcoming Apple iPhone 6S series.
Allegedly, Apple recently required its two partners to make some final modifications to the production tech, but this will not affect the launch schedule or initial availability of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
Samsung's 14nm chip-making technology is already proven, as Samsung was able to manufacture the Exynos 7420 - the chip that powers the Samsung Galaxy S6 series - in large volumes with no apparent hiccups. TSMC, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be ready yet for mass-manufacturing SoCs using its new 16nm production lines.
According to the report, TSMC will not start mass production until the fourth quarter of the year, meaning that most of the launch-day iPhones will come with Samsung-made SoCs. We've previously heard that Samsung will manufacture most of the Apple A9 chips, with TSMC said to be tasked with about 30% of the Apple A9 orders. TSMC made all of the Apple A8 chips that power the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.
According to the report, TSMC will not start mass production until the fourth quarter of the year, meaning that most of the launch-day iPhones will come with Samsung-made SoCs. We've previously heard that Samsung will manufacture most of the Apple A9 chips, with TSMC said to be tasked with about 30% of the Apple A9 orders. TSMC made all of the Apple A8 chips that power the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.
The sources also suggest that the TSMC will be the contracted manufacturer to make the Touch ID fingerprint readers as well well as the Cirrus Logic audio chips that Apple will use in the upcoming iPhone 6S series. Please note that none of this is bulletproof information.
The insider sources quoted by Digitimes also estimate that Apple will ship about 80 million of the new iPhones by the end of the year. That's definitely a lot of phones, but it turns out that the figure is lower than the estimates provided by a recent report from The Wall Street Journal.
Aside from the new Apple A9 chips, the upcoming iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are also rumored to come with an improved cameras on both the front and the back, more RAM, as well pressure-sensing Force Touch displays. Apple is expected to launch the two new iPhones this September.
The insider sources quoted by Digitimes also estimate that Apple will ship about 80 million of the new iPhones by the end of the year. That's definitely a lot of phones, but it turns out that the figure is lower than the estimates provided by a recent report from The Wall Street Journal.
source: Digitimes
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