alexalex Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Apple to move ARM SoC production away from Samsung in 2012 Apple's increasingly tenuous relationship with Samsung as a component supplier for its mobile devices could end next year, according to numerous sources inside the semiconductor industry. The company will likely tap contract fab Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build its next-generation ARM SoCs, currently dubbed "A6," sometime in 2012. Rumors of a partnership between Apple and TSMC began in early 2011, prior to Apple's introduction of the iPad 2 and its A5 processor. Those rumors were later corroborated by sources for EE Times, which suggested Apple was working with TSMC to move its mobile processors to the foundry's 28nm process. It was later revealed that manufacturing partner Samsung, which produced the A4 processors in the iPhone 4 and original iPad, was still producing the A5 processors for Apple's next-generation products. But all of that was before Apple launched a massive legal attack against Samsung for allegedly copying the look and design of Apple's iPhone and iPad for its Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets. While Apple continues to source components from Samsung for its mobile devices under contracts that were likely signed more than a year ago, Apple presented a huge pile of evidence that Samsung was attempting to copy at least some of the secret sauce that made its iPhone and iPad so successful. So Apple very likely sees moving production to a non-competitor as a strategic business move.... http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/06/apple-to-move-arm-soc-production-away-from-samsung-in-2012.ars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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