A storied history filled with lawsuits is hardly the foundation for a strong business partnership. In the case of Apple and Samsung, it appears the bickering has finally resulting in a change of hands for Apple’s processor production. The successor to the A5, currently residing in the iPad 2 and upcoming iPhone 4S/5, will not be produced by Samsung. According to 9to5Mac, Taiwan-based manufacturer TSMC has stepped in to replace Samsung and produce the A6 chip.
TSMC has reportedly “begun a test production run of A6 processors for future Apple devices.” Those future Apple devices may include the third generation iPad (iPad 3) and the sixth generation iPhone (iPhone 6?). In all likelihood the A6 processor will be released in early 2012 during the yearly iPad refresh event — although a late 2011 refresh is still rumored. In either scenario, the chip powering the upcoming iPad will not be produced by Samsung.
The move to shift production from Samsung to TSMC is bold, even by Apple’s standards. The A4 chip inside the iPhone 4 and original iPad was a hit, as is the A5 chip. As a strong believer in the motto, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, it’s sad to see this partnership reportedly come to a close. The good news is that the deal between Apple and TSMC has not been “authorized”. Apparently, the only thing preventing the ink from hitting the paper is the potential yield rate of manufacturing. We’d imagine taking over processor production for Samsung is quite a heavy burden.
Now that we’ve laid out the rumors surrounding the A6 processor, we can’t help but wonder if this is a sign of more to come. The feud between Apple and Samsung has captured news headlines for months. At face value it seems silly to throw a manufacturing partner under the bus, even if a lawsuit is well deserved. With any hope, Apple and Samsung will settle their disputes and move on sooner rather than later.
If the rumors prove true and Apple cuts the cord with Samsung for A6 production, will this impact your purchase of the iPad 3 or iPhone 4S/5? Personally I’ll be concerned about supply more so than who actually makes the chip. If Apple launches have taught us one lesson it’s that no amount of inventory is ever enough — heck, 1.7 million units will only cover the launch weekend. Can TSMC handle the demand?
