Although Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is said to have built the lion’s share of Apple’s A8 chips for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple is now reported to have returned to frenemy Samsung for the A9 chips expected to power the next-generation of Apple’s devices.
Trial builds of the so-called “A9” chip using Samsung’s 14-nanometer FinFET technology began this week, according to ETNews, which cited unnamed “industry insiders.” Production was said to have begun on Thursday at Samsung’s foundry in Austin, Tex., as part of an effort by Apple to move chip production back to the U.S.
Friday’s report also claims that TSMC could still be in the running with its own 16nm FinFET plus process, which began production in July.
Apple’s move to TSMC for the A8 is said to have caused Samsung’s chip making business to have taken a significant hit. Now the Korean firm is pinning its hopes on its 14nm process to recoup some of those losses.
