Apple has supposedly signed a deal with Samsung for A9 processors that will power a future iPhone in 2015. According to The Korean Daily, Samsung will manufacture A9 chips based on a 14 nm manufacturing process for the future ‘iPhone 7’ that could be released in 2015. Apple had earlier reportedly inked a deal with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to produce quad-core A6X chips, in a move to reduce its reliance on Samsung as a components manufacturer.
In spite of the rocky relationship between Apple and Samsung with respect to consumer products, the Korean company has continued to remain one of the biggest hardware partners for Apple, exclusively responsible for the A-series chips that power Apple devices. However Apple and Samsung are also seen as bitter rivals with multiple lawsuits between them and active marketing campaigns with antagonistic overtones. If the reports on this new deal are accurate then it could be seen as a thawing of relationships between the two largest makers of consumer electronics in the world.
According to CNET, Apple had also tried to rein in TSMC as an exclusive supplier of chips for its devices with an offer of more than a billion dollars. However, that offer was reportedly rejected. Apple is also supposedly looking to sign a deal with chipmaker Globalfoundries to exclusively make chips for future iDevices.
Source: The Korean Economic Daily via CNET