On November 10, Apple launched its first own Mac computer processor "M1", and released MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini with M1. South Korean media reported that more and more people in the industry believe that due to TSMC’s tight production capacity, Samsung Electronics Co. may be Apple’s first OEM PC and notebook processors after five years.

 

Business Korea reported on the 12th that Apple initially handed over all M1 processors to TSMC. However, analysts pointed out that TSMC is currently unable to meet all of Apple's needs, and Samsung and TSMC are the only two companies in the world that can produce chips with a 5nm process.

 

A researcher from NH Investment & Securities pointed out that Apple’s M1 chip orders account for about 25% of TSMC’s 5-nanometer process capacity, but TSMC has already removed most of the 5-nanometer production capacity for Apple’s foundry iPhone 12 chips. Apple is expected to transfer orders that TSMC cannot satisfy to Samsung's chip foundry department for processing.

 

Since 2015, Apple stopped entrusting chip orders to Samsung's foundry and completely relied on TSMC. Some analysts said that TSMC's packaging technology is better than Samsung's. Apple also feels uneasy about entrusting the chip to Samsung, a smartphone competitor.