Comment by baq
1 day ago
they did it with the modem previously, the second supplier was strictly worse, but they need to have a negotiating position with their single point of failure supplier
1 day ago
they did it with the modem previously, the second supplier was strictly worse, but they need to have a negotiating position with their single point of failure supplier
The modem was two specifically separate designs from two different companies.
> but they need to have a negotiating position with their single point of failure supplier
They don't. Apple has an Architecture License for ARM, they can do whatever the fuck they want.
If you're referring to TSMC - it shouldn't be too much of a problem for Apple to go and contract Samsung instead, at least assuming Samsung can keep up the yield. Intel isn't a competitor to either TSMC or Samsung, their fab process is years behind.
Intel’s 18A is closer to availability (functional, ramping to production) than Samsung’s SF2 (still in dev/testing phase); which is roughly analogous to TSMC N2.
TSMC is ahead, as usual, but Intel is closer than Samsung (in this specific case).
“ Such metrics are often closely guarded trade secrets. But according to the Dailian report, Samsung's yields for SF2 are in the 50% to 60% range, just high enough for commercial production. The same report puts TSMC's upcoming N2 node at 80%”
Looks like Samsung is actually closer to production than Intel 18A which is still having issues with yields.
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/graphics-cards/samsungs-nex...
1 reply →
> Intel isn't a competitor to either TSMC or Samsung, their fab process is years behind.
It's certainly in Apple (and every company that requires a leading-edge fab)'s interest to try and keep Intel competitive with TSMC and Samsung. 3 companies is already too few for a truly competitive market. And 2 is worse.
I'd argue it's also in everyone's interest to have some redundancy in the chip fabrication supply chain (esp. given the geopolitical situation in Taiwan). It would already be catastrophic if TSMC's production was disrupted for any reason. It would be even more catastrophic if there was no Intel.
Everyone’s interest except, perhaps, the Taiwanese state… where TSMC’s know-how lives, and whose help you’d need to transfer it elsewhere.
I keep hearing SMIC has allllllmost caught up, of course…
5 replies →
Fully agree with you on all points, but I fear this requires serious governmental interventions - simply due to the massive amounts of money involved. The "free market" obviously has failed, with - as you mentioned - massive dangers to national security.
Unfortunately, I also can't see any government willing to put the money on the table to establish a third party from scratch. All that seems to be available is handouts for TSMC to construct a fab in Arizona, and even that was widely criticized.
1 reply →
> Intel isn't a competitor to either TSMC or Samsung, their fab process is years behind.
Is it? I've read that Intel's newest process is closer to TSMC N3 than N2, but surely it's not years behind Samsung? I think the biggest problem for Intel right now is acquiring customers and learning how to work with them (but the new CEO should be the right person to do that).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_nm_process#3_nm_process_node...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_nm_process#2_nm_process_node...
Strictly speaking, Samsung currently has no analogous product to 18A or TSMC 2nm.