When it comes to producing chipsets for Apple, Samsung used to be the main producer of the component, until recent years where TSMC began to take more orders and eventually became Apple’s primary supplier. However recent rumors have suggested that for the upcoming A9 that will be used in the next-gen iPhone, Samsung could be taking the lead.
Apparently this is something that Foxconn’s CEO isn’t too thrilled with, so much so that he recently admitted to lobbying for TSMC to take the lead on Apple’s orders. Why is this, you ask? Is there anything wrong with Samsung’s production? Hardly. In fact the reason why Foxconn’s CEO Terry Guo has been lobbying for TSMC is because he wants Taiwanese manufacturers to stick together.
Guo sees companies such as Samsung as a threat and rightfully so. After all Samsung apart from making chipsets for Apple, also makes their own chipsets, their own displays, their own memory components, and more. Given Samsung’s size it is easy for the company to dominate the smaller players in the industry which is why Guo wants Taiwanese manufacturers to band together to stave off the competition from the likes of Samsung.
That being said, recent reports have suggested that some of the orders will be going to TSMC in a last minute decision. It is unclear as to how many orders specifically have been given to TSMC but whether or not Guo’s lobbying had anything to do with this remains to be seen.