There was a bit of worry a while back regarding a possible delay of the release of Apple's new iPhones in 2017. But the fire was quickly put out.
A few days ago, reports came in that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. or TSMC and other similar companies were having difficulties meeting the production schedule of the for 10nm chips. The supposed lag in the yield rate would be a big blow to Apple and other companies relying on TSMC for the 10nm chips.
But now, BGR says that the Taiwanese company has contradicted the initial reports and has stressed that it is "totally on track" in the production of the processor. TSMC will also contribute to the sales revenue in the first quarter next year.
Aside from focusing on the production of 10nm chips, TSMC is also in the process of developing other mobile chips such as 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm versions, according to Elizabeth Sun, TSMC's senior director of Corporate Communications. The company is still on the fence regarding the use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for the 5nm and 3nm SoCs.
Aside from Apple, TSMC counts HiSilicon and MediaTek among its 10nm buyers.
If TSMC does fail to produce the needed processors, Apple will be left with nothing to show next year. The tech giant is expected to release the iPhone 8, its anniversary smartphone, and one of three iPhones set for 2017. Aside from the smartphones, the iPad Pro will also be affected by the supposed delay in production of the 10nm chips.
Intel and Samsung, one of Apple's most bitter rivals, are also producing these processors and has reportedly suffered from low yield rate, as well. According to Patently Apple, Qualcomm, which gets its 10nm chips from the Korean tech giant, has been forced to scrap its plan to have its Snapdragon 835 and other chips built using Samsung's 10nm process.
