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For a few years now, Apple and Samsung have been battling each other in courts around the world over patent infringement issues. While the lawsuits appear to be winding down, rumors of the strained relationship continue. Every few months or so, we hear that Apple is planning on dumping Samsung as the designer for its processor chip line. Then, shortly after that, we hear that the company is on track to produce Apple’s branded mobile chip for years to come.
Today is no different. A new rumor from Taiwan’s DigiTimes is reporting that Samsung will make Apple’s A9 chip, due out in 2015. Additionally, this rumor notes that the chip will be made at Samsung’s U.S. plant in New York.
According to the report, Samsung and Globalfoundries will begin trial production on 14-nanometer chips at Samsung’s Fab 8 factory in New York, which has the capacity to churn out 60,000 chips per month. Currently, Samsung produces custom processor chips for Apple in Austin, TX.
After the trial production, set for later this year, Samsung and Globalfoundries are expected to begin making small batches of A9 chips in early 2015. However, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are rumored to also be bidding on the contract.
This rumor is likely to be true, as Samsung has had some kind of chip-making relationship with Apple for years. Almost exactly a year ago, rumors from the supply chain pointed to Samsung as the future contract winner for the A9 chip.
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