TSMC v Samsung over Qualcomm + Taiwan

choi

(1) Exclusive: TSMC 'Will Snatch Qualcomm Orders from Samsung in 2018.'  Nikkei Asian Review, Dec 22, 2017
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business ... rom-Samsung-in-2018
(" 'TSMC will manufacture Qualcomm's upcoming flagship Snapdragon processor, known as Snapdragon 855, before the end of next year,' according to chip industry executives familiar with the matter. [That processor] will adopt TSMC's latest 7 nanometer technology [same as Apple's A11 chip to debut in 2018 also] * * *  Samsung is losing Qualcomm orders to TSMC next year because the South Korean titan will not be able to churn out 7nm chips in 2018, according to one chip industry executive")

My comment: "TSMC, Samsung and Intel are now the only chip companies in the world capable of manufacturing chips with transistors smaller than 10nm."  Wrong: Intel remains incapable of making 10 nm.

(2)
(a) Debby Wu and Cheng Ting-Fang, How the iPhone Reshaped Asian Tech. Nikkei Asian Review, Dec 20, 2017.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Features ... reshaped-Asian-tech

Note:
(i) Nikkei takes apart many iPhone X and determine what company makes what components. Many other have done it.
(ii) The text of the report regurgitates the familiar; there is no need to read it.
(iii) Nikkei puts the findings in graphics, detailing its findings. What is interesting and unique is Nikkei counts number of suppliers in each nation, and shows and tells in two graphics: one pie charts and one bar charts (Taiwan's 52 suppliers> US's 44 >Japan's 41 >China's 19> S Korea's 12). By this, of course, the designers are not counted, which is mostly Apple itself. Admittedly, the criterion is crude, as it ignores revenues and profits each nation has.

(b) Based on the above report -- (2)(a), that is --

Ramish Zafar, Taiwan Dominates iPhone X Supply List With 42 Companies; US Second And China Fourth Reveals Detailed Study.  Wccftech, Dec 21, 2017
https://wccftech.com/apple-supplier-breakdown-taiwan-ranks-first/

two consecutive paragraphs:

"Now, folks over at the Nikkei Asian Review take apart Cupertino’s supply chain, to see which country stands where. As you’d hav guessed, the US isn’t at the top. The data indicates that most of Apple’s supply partners have headquarters based in Taiwan. These include several key components, including processor chips, lenses and interestingly, packaging.

"At second place is the US, which supplies ‘high-end’ materials and chip designs. Japan almost ties with America, with 41 of Apple’s 201 suppliers based in the country. iPhone X’s CMOS, panels and other high end materials. On the other hand, South Korea’s major contribution is OLED displays  and China demonstrates its lack of technological sophistication at fourth place. The Chinese are responsible for components such as glass panels, batteries, connector cables and of course, large-scale assembly.

My comment: There is no need to read the rest of this Wccftech report.