Apple returning to Samsung for next-gen A9 chip

Apple is reportedly going back to Samsung as the primary fabricator of its next-generation A9 CPU, Re/code reports. While the company previously used Samsung for numerous components, in recent years it has been attempting to distance itself from its chief rival by looking elsewhere for chip suppliers. In the case of the iPhone 6, for example, Apple had relied on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for the majority of its A8 CPUs. However, according to people familiar with the situation, Samsung holds a technological advantage over TSMC in its ability to shrink the size of transistors on its chips, thereby allowing for a smaller chip that consumes less power. While Apple designs its own CPUs and other chips used in its mobile devices, the company relies on partners such as Samsung to actually produce the chips in the quantities required. Neither Samsung nor Apple have commented on the situation.