Right here’s an fascinating tidbit from right this moment’s flurry of bulletins tied to Apple’s new $100 billion American Manufacturing Program: the corporate is coming into a brand new chip manufacturing partnership with Samsung. Listed here are the main points.
New tech for brand new chips
Based on Apple, they’re working with Samsung’s Austin, Texas facility, to convey to the U.S. “an modern new know-how for making chips, which has by no means been used earlier than wherever on this planet”.
Within the press launch, Apple doesn’t specify what this new know-how is, however says that the Austin facility “will provide chips that optimize energy and efficiency of Apple merchandise, together with iPhone units shipped all around the world.”
Right here’s Apple’s full assertion:
Apple can also be working with Samsung at its fab in Austin, Texas, to launch an modern new know-how for making chips, which has by no means been used earlier than wherever on this planet. By bringing this know-how to the U.S. first, this facility will provide chips that optimize energy and efficiency of Apple merchandise, together with iPhone units shipped all around the world.
Whereas that’s not a lot to go on, there’s hypothesis suggesting that Samsung (reasonably than Sony) will provide Apple with next-generation ISOCELL digital camera sensors, constructed on the identical Austin facility.
And whereas digital camera sensors aren’t usually described as elements that “optimize energy and efficiency,” that is finally a rigorously worded press launch made to appease and make the present U.S. administration look good, so a little bit of artistic framing might be on the desk.
Be it as it might (and, once more, with out realizing the specifics), it’s fascinating to see Apple flip to Samsung, reasonably than TSMC, its main chip associate, and even Intel, which has been lobbying onerous for foundry enterprise and authorities incentives, to pilot what it calls a “by no means been used earlier than wherever on this planet” chipmaking know-how on U.S. soil.
TSMC, for its half, has additionally not too long ago introduced plans to increase its complete funding within the U.S. to $165 billion, together with “three new fabs, two superior packaging services and an R&D heart” per the corporate’s personal press launch.
What do you suppose this new chip might be? Tell us within the feedback.
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