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Apple still relies on arch rival Samsung for the chips powering its iPhones, it seems. The A7 SoC (system on chip) beavering away inside the iPhone 5S is made by Samsung, according to Chipworks. Apple signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) earlier in the year, so we were expecting a shift away from Samsung for the iPhone’s innards.
But it’s not completely reliant on the Korean company. The M7 chip that brings together the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass is manufactured by NXP. So Apple isn’t keeping all its tech eggs in one basket.
The Cupertino company’s deal with TSMC doesn’t take effect until 2014, so we could see it ditch Samsung for the next iPhone. The two have been at loggerheads in recent years, slapping each other with lawsuit after lawsuit. Apple has stopped using Samsung screens in its iPhone, and cut back on the number it buys from Sammy for use in the iPad. According to sources, Apple is also going elsewhere for its flash memory.
Samsung has shot up the mobile ranks of late to become the biggest seller of smart phones in the world, much to Apple’s chagrin. Its flagship Galaxy S4 has sold even faster than the S3, and the S3 was no slouch.
If you want more info on the guts of the iPhone 5S, iFixit has posted one of its trademark teardowns on the device. They’re an excitable bunch. The 5S scores six out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. The 5C scored the same.
Do you think Apple will kick Samsung to the curb as soon as it can? Have we seen the end of these high-profile lawsuits between the two? What do you make of Apple’s latest handsets? Let me know in the comments below, or head over to our Facebook page.
Image credit: N4SA.com
