Apple designs the chips used in its products; companies such as Samsung Foundry and TSMC manufacture chip designs for customers. Samsung has a documented history of producing some earlier Apple mobile processors, and a 2025 report described Apple-related chip manufacturing at Samsung’s Austin facility. But that report did not identify the chips, so it does not confirm that Samsung is making the main processor in a current iPhone.
What chips does Samsung make for Apple?
A report published by Cinco Días on August 7, 2025 said Samsung was manufacturing chips for Apple at its Austin facility. The report did not specify what kinds of chips they were. That supports saying Apple-related chip manufacturing was reported at Samsung, but it does not establish that Samsung is making Apple’s A-series iPhone processors, M-series Mac processors, or any particular component.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Apple Silicone Case (for iPhone 11 Pro Max) - Alaskan Blue | $5.23 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Apple Silicone Case (for iPhone 11) - White | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Samsung also makes its own semiconductor products and operates a foundry business that manufactures designs for customers. Its work for another customer—or its general capabilities in memory and chip fabrication—does not by itself show that it supplies a particular Apple component. For example, Samsung’s announced collaboration with Broadcom concerns Broadcom, not Apple.
Does Samsung make Apple’s iPhone chips?
Historically, Samsung manufactured some earlier Apple mobile processors. Apple later shifted mobile processor production toward TSMC, according to a RAND account of Apple’s supply-chain strategy. The available account does not establish a complete processor-by-processor chronology or a precise transition date, so it is safer to describe the broad shift rather than assign individual generations to a specific factory.
#1 Best Overall
- A soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone.
- On the outside, the silky, soft-touch finish of the silicone exterior feels great in your hand.
- And you can keep it on all the time, even when you’re charging wirelessly.
- Just like every Apple-designed case, it’s put through thousands of hours of testing throughout the design and manufacturing process.
- So not only does it look great, it’s built to protect your iPhone from scratches and drops.
For more recent context, Apple said on February 24, 2025, that mass production of Apple chips had begun at TSMC’s Arizona facility the previous month, and described Apple as the facility’s largest customer. This confirms a role for TSMC in Apple chip production in Arizona; it does not mean all Apple chips are made there or that all use the same manufacturing process. Apple’s announcement is available at Apple Newsroom.
Why does Apple use Samsung and TSMC?
Designing a chip and fabricating it are different jobs. Apple develops silicon designs for its products. A foundry manufactures a customer’s design using its own production processes. Samsung describes its foundry operation as a customer-oriented manufacturing business, separate from selling Samsung’s own semiconductor products.
This distinction makes a business relationship possible even when the companies compete in consumer electronics: Samsung can manufacture a customer’s chip design without that chip being a Samsung-designed processor. Samsung outlines its foundry business and production capabilities on its Foundry business page and company information page.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #2
- Display size: 6.1 inches.A soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone.
- On the outside, the silky, soft-touch finish of the silicone exterior feels great in your hand.
- And you can keep it on all the time, even when you’re charging wirelessly.
- Just like every Apple-designed case, it’s put through thousands of hours of testing throughout the design and manufacturing process.
- So not only does it look great, it’s built to protect your iPhone from scratches and drops.
Using more than one manufacturing partner can also give a chip designer options for capacity, geography, process technology, and supply resilience. The sources here do not establish Apple’s specific reasons for any individual manufacturing allocation, so those factors are useful ways to understand foundry decisions generally—not confirmed explanations for a particular Apple order.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare Samsung Foundry and TSMC
A process-node label, such as “2 nm,” is not enough to decide which foundry is better for a particular chip. A meaningful comparison would need to account for the specific design, process maturity, high-volume capacity, yield, advanced packaging, location, and supply resilience. The sources available do not provide comparable Apple-versus-Samsung yield, defect-rate, or performance figures.
| Comparison point | What the cited sources establish | What they do not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Foundry | Samsung describes foundry manufacturing for customers and a network spanning Korea and the United States, with legacy and advanced semiconductor production capabilities. Samsung Foundry | They do not establish which specific Apple chip designs Samsung currently manufactures. |
| TSMC and Apple | Apple said mass production of Apple chips began at TSMC’s Arizona facility in January 2025, and called Apple that facility’s largest customer. Apple Newsroom | This does not establish that all Apple chips are made at that facility or on one process node. |
| TSMC’s 2-nanometer process | TSMC’s 2025 Form 20-F says its 2-nanometer technology entered volume production during 2025. TSMC Form 20-F, hosted by the SEC | This milestone alone does not show which Apple products use 2-nanometer chips or establish a performance comparison with Samsung. |
| Apple-related Samsung production | A report said Samsung was manufacturing unspecified chips for Apple at its Austin facility in 2025. Cinco Días | The report does not name the chip types, product lines, or process node. |
These facts show why “Samsung versus TSMC” is not a single, general contest with a winner. The relevant question is which foundry can manufacture a particular design, at the required scale and maturity, with the right packaging and supply-chain fit.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
