Apple has used Samsung as a manufacturer of iPhone chips in its iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus range, but is seemingly ending the partnership for its upcoming handsets.
While Samsung and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) both produced the 6S’s A9 chip, in February TSMC was revealed as the sole manufacturer for the upcoming iPhone 7‘s A10 chip.
Now it seems Samsung has been snubbed yet again, as a report suggests Apple is not looking to order any A11 chips, expected to power next year’s iPhone 8, from the company.
The report, from Chinese-language Economic Daily News, via Digitimes, claims TSMC will build the A11 chip on a 10nm FinFET process.
Related: Best smartphone
The iPhone 7 will use the A10 chip and is expected to come in a new Space Grey colour option
“TSMC is already the exclusive manufacturer of Apple’s A10 chip which will power the upcoming iPhone series slated for launch in September 2016.
“The Taiwan-based foundry will continue to be the sole supplier of Apple’s next-generation A11 processor that will be built on a 10nm FinFET process.”
TSMC, whose 10nm process is believed to have given it the edge over Samsung, is expected to begin production of the A11 chip in the second quarter of 2017, according to the report.
None of this has been verified at this point, and
Alongside the A10 chip, which should provide much improved performance, the iPhone 7 is expected to arrive with no headphone jack, a similar design to the iPhone 6S, and could come in two models – the larger of which is reported to have a dual camera setup.
The phone will launch this September, while the iPhone 8 should drop around the same time in 2017.
WATCH: What’s the no.1 smartphone in the world?
Are you looking forward to the iPhone 7? Let us know in the comments.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
