Samsung out of race to produce A8 chips for Apple: Report

There was a time in the recent past when both mobile phone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, were locked once again in a battle of patent violation, which had led to speculation that Samsung might not produce the A7 SoC (System on Chip) for the iPhone 5s. However, Samsung did ultimately manufacture the chip, and helped create a faster iPhone for Apple - the iPhone 5s with its 64-bit SoC.

However, according to new reports, Samsung has dropped out of the race to create the A8 SoC for Apple. The decision was reportedly made by Samsung because it wasn't profitable for it to produce the chips anymore.

Apple is being said to have moved the production of the A8 SoC to the Taiwanese firm, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), which is the largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry in the world. Another report states the following reason behind Samsung having left the race: the A8 CPU is expected to be built using the 20nm manufacturing process, which Samsung is apparently has been facing production issues with.

TSMC, on the other hand, is said to have been able to meet Apple's demands, and this is ostensibly the reason the Cupertino outfit will be asking TSMC to create the A8 SoC. 9to5mac.com reports that rather than parting due to 'political differences', Samsung's production deficiencies were the main reason for them dropping out. This could leave TSMC as the only maker of the A8 chip.

There are also rumours that the A8 might not feature integrated LTE. There is an interesting possibility that the next generation chips, the A9, will be built using a 16/14nm technology process and Samsung, might come back to partner with Apple on that one, then.