Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is expected to grow revenues by up to 20%, as the upcoming iPhone’s A10 processor orders are going to commence soon, according to a report from Taiwan’s Central News Agency and quoted by Digitimes (via AppleInsider).
Earlier rumours claimed TSMC had won all Apple’s A10 chip orders, which isn’t something Apple usually does. The current production of A9 chips powering the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is split between TSMC and Samsung.
The majority of A9 chip orders apparently went to Samsung, with reports claiming a win of up to 70%. This, however, changed with the A10 chip orders, which will be supplied by TSMC in full, claimed an analyst of HSBC last December. Since then other whispers have contradicted the original rumour, claiming TSMC has secured almost all A10 chip orders, which means Samsung has remained a chip supplier, although Apple is after reducing its reliance on this manufacturer.
The A10 powering the anticipated iPhone 7 be the first to use TSMC’s integrated fan-out (InFO) packaging, the analysts say. The technology allows chips to be mounted directly on the circuit board and stacked on top of each other. This differs from the currently used solution, which requires a substrate. The new technology could contribute to a slimmer and lighter device.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are expected to be launched this fall and mainly resemble the design of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
