Vast majority of Apple A9 chip orders are going to Samsung and Globalfoundries

According to industry sources, a whopping 70% of Apple A9 chips earmarked for the Apple iPhone 6s are being produced by Samsung and Globalfoundries. A report published on Friday says that both will use 14nm FinFET technology to manufacture the chips. TSMC will be responsible for the remaining 30% of A9 chips, which will be manufactured using 16nm FinFET tech. TSMC is responsible for the entire production of Apple A8 chips, current employed on the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung is said to be ready to produce 30,000 to 40,000 12-inch wafers each month in order to feed its 14nm FinFET production. Demand for the final products from the process is led by both Apple and by Samsung itself. Besides Apple's A9 chip, Samsung will be in the middle of rolling its own 14nm Exynos chips off the assembly line.

Figuring out who will make the next Apple Ax chip has become a parlor game. Usually, it is between Samsung and TSMC. Samsung has the edge now because it developed the 14nm FinFET process technology, which it licenses to other chip makers like Globalfoundries. The 14nm process allows the Apple A9 chip to be 20% more powerful while using 35% less battery life.

source: DigiTimes