Samsung and GlobalFoundries to Produce Apple's 14-nm A9 Chips in 2015
Samsung and GlobalFoundries have landed orders from Apple to produce the 14-nanometer A9 processor starting next year, reports DigiTimes. The 14nm chips will be rolled out of GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 factory in Malta, New York, which Samsung will also use to produce Apple's A-series chips.
According to Samsung and Globalfoundries' roadmap, the two foundries plan to push their initial 14nm LPE (low power early) process, which was verified in February, into risk production in the fourth quarter of 2014 and small volume production in early 2015, the sources indicated.
The report also notes that longtime Apple partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will attempt to secure orders for Apple's A9 chip by introducing new semiconductor processes by early next year. Apple is also reportedly considering Intel as a partner to produce the A9, according to the sources.
Last year, it was reported that Samsung and TSMC would be sharing production of Apple's A9 chip in 2015, with the former producing 30% to 40% of the total order. Samsung and GlobalFoundries have aided each other throughout the past year, with Samsung helping set up the Fab 8 factory last year and GlobalFoundries providing the backup location when needed. Samsung and GlobalFoundries announced in April that they would be adopting the same chip production process to prepare for next-generation mobile devices.
Apple's 14-nanometer A9 processors are expected to be used in the company's 2015 iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, this year's forthcoming iPhone 6, iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 are expected to use Apple's 20-nanometer A8 processor, which is being produced by TSMC. Samsung was said to be splitting the production load for the A8 with TSMC, however the company is said to have dropped out due to low yields.
Related Stories
Google and the three major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, will all support a new communications protocol on Android smartphones starting in 2022, a move that puts pressure on Apple to adopt a new cross-platform messaging standard and may present a challenge to iMessage.
Verizon recently announced that it is planning to adopt Messages by Google as its default messaging...
We're just a few months away from when Apple is expected to reveal the 2021 iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone 13." In preparation for its launch, it has been pulling in shipments of different components needed to produce the new iPhones, according to a report from DigiTimes.
In years past, Apple released its latest iPhone lineup, alongside a new Apple Watch, during a September event at Apple Park....
We've seen a lot of teasers about the Beats Studio Buds over the past month since they first showed up in Apple's beta software updates, and today they're finally official. The Beats Studio Buds are available to order today in red, white, and black ahead of a June 24 ship date, and they're priced at $149.99.
The Studio Buds are the first Beats-branded earbuds to truly compete with AirPods...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with MAXOAK to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Bluetti portable power station and an accompanying solar panel. Bluetti makes a range of portable power station options that are useful for camping, emergencies, power outages, off-grid living, and similar situations.
The Bluetti EB70 is a solid middle of the road option that offers 716Wh and...
Apple has published a FAQ titled "Expanded Protections for Children" which aims to allay users' privacy concerns about the new CSAM detection in iCloud Photos and communication safety for Messages features that the company announced last week. "Since we announced these features, many stakeholders including privacy organizations and child safety organizations have expressed their support of...
Apple has shared a new support document that indicates kernel extensions — which it calls "legacy system extensions" — will not be compatible with a future version of macOS because they "aren't as secure or reliable as modern alternatives."System extensions are a category of software that works in the background to extend the functionality of your Mac. Some apps install kernel extensions, which...
See update at bottom of article Spotify this week confirmed that its plans to add AirPlay 2 support to its iOS app have been placed on indefinite hiatus.
In an online discussion forum post, a Spotify representative said the streaming music service had been working on supporting AirPlay 2, but the company has paused the efforts "for now" due to "audio driver compatibility issues." The...
YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on...
Apple recently dropped the $19.99 fee for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion, making the older Mac updates free to download, reports Macworld.
Apple has kept OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion available for customers who have machines limited to the older software, but until recently, Apple was charging $19.99 to get download codes for the updates.
As of last week, these updates no...
Google is rumored to be working on a new wireless charging stand that could deliver 23W of charging power to its upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones, according to a leaked inventory image published by Android Police.
Image via Android Police. If true, that would beat the iPhone 12's maximum 15W wireless charging speed (or 12W on iPhone 12 mini) using Apple's MagSafe charger, and...
Top Rated Comments
So are all the prior iPads, and iPhones rubbish because Samsung is rubbish, they also make a lot of memory that goes into Macs, people also clamor for the displays that Samsung make. :rolleyes:
Hate to tell you but there may be samsung components in your MacBook. Sorry if this means you will need to sell it.
You picked the wrong thread for Samsung hate. Their components and capacity are top notch. Maybe you will get lucky and Apple and Samsung will sue each other again. Then you can express all the fanboyism your heart desires.:eek:
If I were to choose a vendor to produce my chips I wouldn't look any further than Samsung. I'd also use them for as many components as possible, especially storage.
And you won't be buying any Mac computer, but what if heaven forbid you buy an iDevice at any time and it has Samsung display? What you going to do then? It is very scary the thought of purchasing an Apple device that performs brilliantly and looks great thanks to Samsungs displays and components!