Apple to leave Samsung for TSMC on A6 chips?

Andre Yoskowitz
16 Jul 2011 19:29

According to Reuters, Apple has begun using TSMC to manufacture its upcoming A6 processing chips, potentially dumping long time partner Samsung in the process.
Fubon Securities analyst William Wang believes that Apple will remain with Samsung but diversify its manufacturing with TSMC:

Apple is trying to diversify its orders but it will still maintain some kind of relationship with Samsung. I think TSMC will get the new chip orders, the issue however is allocation. Apple won't give the whole 100 percent to TSMC. Maybe it'll allocate only 20-30 percent.

TSMC is the world's largest chip maker.
Moving completely away from Samsung would be near impossible, say industry analysts, as Samsung has designed the current chips and owns the intellectual property on system design and memory packaging.