The processors which will be used in the iPhone 6 and future models are reportedly in production, according to a report in DigiTimes. Josephine Lien and Jessie Shen report that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TMC) to build the processors.
Apple’s A7 Processors: Not For The iPhone 6
Of course there’s been a lot of debate about whether Apple will skip over the iPhone 5S and go right for the iPhone 6. If the company did that, then it would probably mean that the processor that would be in the device would be the A7 producer, as some have speculated. However, according to this new report, TSMC has a three-year contract with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to build the A8, A9, and A9x processors also.
A8 Processors Said To Be For The iPhone 6
The A-series chips described in the report will be made using 10 nm, 16 nm and 20 nm process nodes. Sources apparently told DigiTimes that the A8 processors will go into small volume production next month. Production of the chips is then expected to ramp up after December. TSMC is said to be planning to install new 20 nm fab equipment that can process 50,000 wafers during the first three months of next year.
DigiTimes’ sources also said part of the upcoming production capacity, which is expected to be around 20,000 wafers, could be upgraded later to build 16 nm chips. Then toward the end of the third quarter of next year, TSMC is said to be planning to volume produce the A9 and A9X processors.
What Does This Mean For The iPhone 6?
According to the rumor, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be releasing a new iPhone in the first quarter of next year. One analyst said recently that that iPhone 6 will be out in the first quarter of the year, so it’s interesting that the two rumors appear to line up.
The A9 and A9X chips are said to be planned for use in the next iPhone and later versions of the iPad. F course it’s important to point out that these are still just rumors and that they may not turn out to be true. DigiTimes has a mixed history when it comes to reporting rumors on companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
