Samsung wants to make iPhone, iPad and Mac processors

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Samsung
Samsung wants to make iPhone processors again. And maybe even Mac ones, too.
Photo: Jim Merithew / Cult of Mac

Samsung is investing billions in its chip business to better compete with Intel, Qualcomm and TSMC. The Korean company wants to make CPUs for a broad array of computers. This raises the odds that Samsung could begin making iPhone and iPad processors again.

And maybe even future Mac desktops and MacBooks could be powered by Samsung chips.

iPhone with Samsung chips

Samsung once was the exclusive manufacturer of Apple’s A-series processors; later it shared the job with TSMC. A few years ago, TSMC became so much better at it that Samsung was pushed out.

However, the Korean conglomerate plans to to invest $115 billion (133 trillion won) over the next 10 years in its chip business, setting its sights on TSMC.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Samsung wants a share of making iPhone and iPad processors. Last year, he company reportedly was trying to undercut its rival’s prices by up to 20 percent.

TSMC supposedly has a lock on A13 manufacturing, the chip that will almost certainly power the 2019 iPhone. This will be produced with a 7 nanometer process, much like last year’s A12 chip. But Samsung also makes 7 nm processors for its own Galaxy phones, and might be able to elbow its way into future iPhones and iPads.

But that’s not all from Samsung

Samsung also said it wants to take on Intel and Qualcomm in the chip business.

Intel currently supplies the CPUs for Mac desktops and MacBooks, but unconfirmed reports have indicated Apple intends to switch macOS to ARM-based processors it designs in-house. If so, then potentially Samsung and/or TSMC could manufacture these.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors are widely used in Androids, but this company also makes modems, including the ones that are widely expected to be in the first 5G iPhone. Samsung could be planning to compete for this business as well.

Via: Bloomberg

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