Taiwan Semiconductor Apple

Apple chip manufacturer TSMC is reportedly partnering with chip design firm ARM on a new, 7-nanometer FinFET manufacturing process, likely to be used in producing iPhone and iPad processors within the next few years.

Key Apple processor supplier TSMC plans to double its production capacity for 16-nanometer chips in March, reports said on Wednesday, hinting at preparation for future Apple devices.

Right on schedule for a fall product launch, Apple's suppliers are said to be reserving "a significant portion" of production capacities for the second and third quarters of 2016, ahead of the highly anticipated "iPhone 7" launch.

The damage to Apple chip supplier TSMC from a Feb. 6 earthquake was reportedly more severe than estimated, and will indeed result in fewer wafers shipping to clients during the March quarter.

A report claims Apple will rely solely on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to produce the next-generation system-on-chip design destined to power this year's iPhone hardware refresh, beating out longtime Apple partner Samsung.

A tragic earthquake has hit the city of Tainan in southern Taiwan, injuring 144, killing at least 5 people and causing the collapse of several large buildings. So far however, it appears that Apple's suppliers in the region have survived the quake without sustaining significant damage.

Taiwanese semiconductor foundry TSMC is reportedly preparing to roll out its 7-nanometer process node as soon as 2018, with a jump to 5 nanometers currently penciled in for 2020.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest chip fab and a manufacturer of Apple's A9 chips used in iPhone 6s models, has posted earnings that beat analysts estimates for the quarter and established the company's highest annual earnings in 29 years.

While a cadre of Apple watchers have predicted doom for the iPhone maker this year, Samsung has actually warned that it faces stronger than predicted competition this year and that it expects 2016 to be a particularly difficult business environment. That's due in large part to fierce competition and reduced business from its number one competitor and supplier: Apple.

Taiwan-based Apple supplier TSMC on Monday announced plans to launch a $3 billion chip production factory in Nanjing, China, forgoing the help of any local corporate partners.

With next year's anticipated "A10" processor expected to power the next-generation iPhone, TSMC will likely gain complete control of Apple's processor manufacturing orders, according to a new report.

New battery test results, published on Monday, appear to support Apple's claim of little difference in the longevity of an iPhone 6s with a Samsung-made A9 chip versus one manufactured by TSMC.

This week saw Apple honor Steve Jobs on the fourth anniversary of his death, and simultaneously make a series of small-scale product announcements, while putting out fires related to iPhone battery life and iOS security.

Trying to quell rumors, Apple on Thursday issued a statement claiming there is little difference in the battery life of iPhones using A9 chips made by TSMC versus those made by Samsung.

Apple's next-generation mobile processor may be called the A10 and leap ahead to a six-core architecture, according to a rumor from Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

Taiwan's TSMC is set to become the exclusive manufacturer of an Apple "A10" processor for next-generation iPhones, cutting Samsung out of the loop, according to a new rumor.

An engineer who left chipmaker TSMC for a new job at rival Samsung's foundry division illegally passed trade secrets to the South Korean firm, Taiwan's Supreme Court said in a Wednesday ruling.

Apple is asking Samsung and TSMC to accept price cuts on orders of A9 chips for its new iPhones, but TSMC's inclination to decline could result in the supplier having to scale back production capacity, a new rumor claimed on Tuesday.

Apple is reportedly working on one or more spiritual successors to the iPhone 5c that will use 14- to 16-nanometer FinFET chips manufactured by suppliers TSMC and Samsung.

The race to make smaller and more efficient mobile processors continues, with iPhone chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. revealing it remains on track to mass produce its first 10-nanometer FinFET processors by early 2017 - a timeframe that would put it ahead of rival Intel.