TSMC Expected to Begin 'A14' 5nm Chip Production in Second Quarter

As expected, Apple chipmaker TSMC has secured orders for the "A14" processors to go in this year's iPhones and is expected to start manufacturing the chips in the second quarter, according to industry sources cited in a DigiTimes report.

The sources said Apple's 5G mmWave handsets to be released in 2020 are reportedly to each carry at least three AiP modules, which can also be packaged with FC_AiP (flip-chip) process in addition to InFo_AiP.

TSMC has been working hard to miniaturize its fabrication process to 5 nanometers – down from 7 nanometer fabrication seen in the A12 and A13 – with the aim of securing orders for Apple's processors in its iPhones for the fourth year running.

Previous successes in miniaturization have enabled the foundry to be Apple's exclusive supplier of A-series chips, beginning with the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7/7 Plus, and continuing with the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8/8 Plus and ‌‌iPhone‌‌ X, the A12 Bionic in the iPhone XR/XS/XS Max, and the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 series.

Last year it announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of the processors.

Apple is expected to release five new ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models in 2020, including a so-called ‌iPhone SE 2‌ with a 4.7-inch LCD display in the first half of 2020, followed by a higher-end all-OLED 5G lineup consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year.

Related Roundup: iPhone 12

Tag: TSMC

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Apple to Attend CES 2020 in Rare Official Appearance

Apple will make a rare official appearance at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week to promote its HomeKit smart home system, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


With Amazon and Google expected to roll out new software capabilities for their internet-connected products and voice-activated smart platforms, Apple will also be there to show off its own smart home system.

Apple's ‌HomeKit‌, a system for controlling devices in the home, will also be on display. Some companies will show off new gadgets for the home that work with Siri, Apple's digital assistant.

According to the report, the company isn't expected to release any new hardware at the trade show, but Apple executive Jane Horvath is scheduled to speak on a consumer privacy panel on January 7.

Ahead of last year's CES, Apple put up a giant sign in Las Vegas touting the security of its devices, and in 2018 some Apple employees reportedly met with potential augmented-reality glasses suppliers there, but otherwise it has traditionally chosen to stay away. Apple's presence at CES 2020 is the first time in decades that the company has attended in an official capacity.

Tags: bloomberg.com, CES 2020

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DigiTimes: Apple Could Launch Two 'iPhone SE 2' Models in 2020

Apple could launch a second version of the so-called iPhone SE 2 before the end of the year, according to DigiTimes. The latest prediction from the hit-and-miss industry publication is said to come from sources in Taiwan's supply chain.

The latest news coming from the supply chain is that Apple is likely to add yet another LCD-based model to its iPhone lineup for 2020. This new member will be an upgraded version of the widely speculated ‌iPhone‌ SE2 featuring a 5.5- or 6.1-inch LCD display and available at the end of 2020 or in earlier 2021, said the sources.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to release five new ‌iPhone‌ models in 2020 – a so-called ‌iPhone SE 2‌ with a 4.7-inch LCD display in the first half of 2020, followed by a higher-end all-OLED lineup consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year.

However, some supply chain makers at ‌iPhone‌'s assembly partners claim to have received roadmaps showing production of "six items" of iPhones, claims DigiTimes. According to the report, Taiwan-based driver-IC backend firm Chipbond Technology is said to have landed COF packaging orders from Apple for both LCD devices.

The initial model of the so-called ‌iPhone SE 2‌ is expected to resemble the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM. The device will continue to have a single-lens rear camera, according to Kuo, like the original ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ‌iPhone 8‌.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE 2

Tag: digitimes.com

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Imagination Technologies Announces New Licensing Agreement With Apple

Imagination Technologies announced on Thursday that Apple has replaced a licensing agreement with the British chipmaker for access to its intellectual property in exchange for license fees.


In a brief statement on its website, the U.K. firm said that the substitute multi-use license agreement, first announced in February 2014, would allow Apple access to a "wider range" of Imagination's IP.

London, UK; 2nd January 2020 – Imagination Technologies ("Imagination") announces that it has replaced the multi-year, multi-use license agreement with Apple, first announced on February 6, 2014, with a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination's intellectual property in exchange for license fees.

The development marks a dramatic shift in relations between the two companies following three years of discord, beginning in April 2017 when Apple told the chipmaker that it planned to stop using its graphics technology in iOS devices within two years.

Imagination relies on Apple for up to half of its revenue and saw its shares fall by 60 percent on the news. Imagination also publicly criticized Apple, claiming that it doubted the tech giant could go it alone without violating Imagination's patents, IP, and confidential information.

After entering a "dispute resolution procedure" with the company, Imagination accused Apple of unauthorized use of its IP. Apple hit back by claiming that the firm had known for nearly two years that it was winding down the relationship, and was only revealing the separation after Apple had invoked a clause in its contract to pay lower royalty rates.

Imagination lost 70 percent of its value following the dispute with Apple, and despite a successful restructuring and a return to profitability for the company, put itself up for sale in June 2017. Imagination was bought by the Chinese-funded private equity firm Canyon Bridge in November 2017.

Tag: Imagination Technologies

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Apple Signs New Licensing Agreement With Imagination Technologies

Imagination Technologies and Apple have signed a new licensing agreement. The deal was announced earlier today.

Imagination Technologies (“Imagination”) announces that it has replaced the multi-year, multi-use license agreement with Apple, first announced on February 6, 2014, with a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination’s intellectual property in exchange for license fees.

The relationship between the companies went sour in 2017 when Apple informed Imagination that it would stop using its technology within two years. At the time, the company claimed it would not be possible to design a new GPU architecture without its IP.





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