TSMC's 'Rush Orders' Presumably Fueling Broadcom Part Supplies for iPhone 5

tsmcBloomberg reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced a spike in third quarter sales fueled by recent "rush orders", with industry experts suggesting that the demand is almost certainly coming from Broadcom as it fills orders for components of Apple's iPhone 5.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Broadcom’s biggest supplier, last week said third-quarter sales would exceed earlier forecasts because of rush orders from an unnamed customer. Other large Taiwan Semiconductor clients have disclosed disappointing results, suggesting that the customer was probably Broadcom, rushing to meet demand from Apple, according to a supply-chain analysis by Bloomberg.

“Broadcom is the largest link between Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor,” said Richard Davenport, a Bloomberg supply chain analyst, in a report. “Broadcom appears to be a likely candidate for Taiwan Semiconductor’s rush orders.”

Broadcom has historically provided the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip for Apple's iPhone products. It also provides a GPS chip for the GSM iPhone 4, but the need for that chip was eliminated in the CDMA iPhone 4, where the MDM6600 baseband chip from Qualcomm provides integrated GPS control circuitry.

The report notes that these rush orders for the parts presumed to be for Broadcom and Apple indicate that manufacturers are trying to make up for shortages of an existing component in the supply chain rather rolling out a new part. One analyst reasons that Broadcom should have anticipated the demand for its chips for the iPhone 5 and thus the rush order may not be for Apple, but it is possible that Apple is still seeking to boost production of the device as it anticipates strong early sales.

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Top Rated Comments

Tones2 Avatar
180 months ago
If Apple is projecting "early strong sales" that are greater than normal initial iPhone sales, they better give us at least a 4" screen and / or 64 GB, or they'll be in for a big disappointment. There's not gonna be a lot of current iPhone 4 users jumping on the bandwagon for just a slightly faster phone with a slightly better camera.

Tony
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
180 months ago
This is getting crazy even for Apple. Apple just tell us already...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TWSS37 Avatar
180 months ago
omgomgomgomg!!

Credit card ready.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sedrick Avatar
180 months ago
is that an.... iPhone 5 in my toast....?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tones2 Avatar
180 months ago
Jeebus, next we'll be seeing imprints of the iPhone 5 on tacos in Mexico. Apple has to love the myth-like hype that their warmed over iPhone 4 is getting. Man the joke will be on us.

Mmmm....Apple tacos.....:D
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
180 months ago
As long as it has 64GB or a bigger screen I'll be happy.

I already know iOS5 will be amazing, the design will be nice, it'll be faster and iCloud will be amazing too.

So everything else is just +++
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)