TSMC to provide most of the A9 chips for the Apple iPhone 6s; Samsung is the back up

Earlier this year, it seemed that Samsung had wrapped up the annual contest to decide who will provide Apple with the chips for the next iteration of the iPhone. In fact, just a few weeks ago, there was talk that Samsung had already started delivering 14nm A9 samples to Apple. And Sammy's perennial rival for the business, TSMC, will only be able to cut its 16nm wafers in any quantity starting in the second quarter of 2015. Using the 14nm process will allow Samsung to make the A9 chip 20% more powerful, while consuming 35% less battery life than the A8.

But don't cash your tickets in just yet. A report out of Taiwan says that Apple will give the bulk of the A9 business to TSMC, leaving Samsung as the second-string provider. The report says that it is a matter of yield. TSMC can apparently produce more chips efficiently than Samsung can. Apple would never leave a part as important as the SoC for its iPhone in the hands of just one manufacturer, so no matter the situation, both TSMC and Samsung can be assured of cashing some checks from Apple. TSMC produced most of the A8 and A8X chips found in the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPad Air 2, respectively.

Apple is expected to unveil the Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus in 2015. The handsets will feature an incremental update over the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus despite earlier rumors that the handset will be equipped with a glasses-free 3D screen.

source: TaipeiTimes via MacRumors, SlashGear