Sources tell us that Apple might be considering switching foundries for production of its A5 chip. The decision could impact Samsung, who has been partnering with Apple and producing its A4 chip as well as providing other chips.
The reason comes down to TSMC’s 40nm capacity and yields which are the best in the world. It is believed that Apple could need as many as 45 million chips and TSMC is said to be able to be able to handle this capacity. The move isn’t actually that unique, as many fab-less companies use multiple foundries to produce their chips.
The talk we are hearing seems to echo that of what other sources around the Internet are saying, as well. It is believed that the first rumors of Apple entering into a foundry relationship with TSMC were first uncovered in a report published in the EETimes. It is currently unknown how soon Apple is looking to make this move, but the whispers we are hearing suggest that the move could come as soon as the next few weeks.
You can find the original EETimes report here.
TSMC has better 40nm yields
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