TSMC doubling 16nm chip production, to prepare for launch of iPhone 7 in Sept?
Chinese publication Economic Daily News reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will be doubling its 16nm chip production in March although no reason is given for the increase. Could TSMC be preparing for the launch of the Apple iPhone 7 in September?
Image source: TSMC
TSMC will be doubling its 16nm chip production from this month; its assembly plants will produce 80,000 chips starting this month, up from 40,000 units in February.
While Economic Daily News did not provide a reason for the production increase, it is likely to be for its biggest customer - Apple. Korean publication Electronic Times reported last month that TSMC has secured an exclusive deal with Apple to supply the next generation A10 processor for the iPhone 7.
TSMC also has other clients such as MediaTek, HiSilicon and NVIDIA, but it is unlikely that they have the kind of influence and resources that Apple has to make TSMC ramp up production.
Source: DigiTimes
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.