Digitimes reports Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are still competing for the rights to produce Apple’s next-generation A9 chip. A primary supplier is expected to be named by the year’s end.
According to the report, Samsung has offered Apple lower pricing quotes in an attempt to secure the rights to produce the A9. The company is also willing to produce other chips like flash memory and perform optimization services in-house. Samsung was the longtime producer of Apple’s A-series chips until Apple struck a deal with TSMC to produce its chips last year.
Samsung semiconductor chief Kim Ki-nam announced last month that his company would begin work on 14-nanometer processors for Apple, leading to speculation that Samsung had already won the contract to produce Apple’s next-generation chip. It is possible that both companies will share production, as Apple continues to diversify its supply chain.
The A9 chips will likely be used in next year’s generation of Apple’s iPhones and iPads.
