iPhone 6 Rumors: Samsung to Handle Most of A8 Chip Production

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The latest iPhone 6 rumors reveal that Samsung will handle most of the production for the device's A8 chip.

A report from ZDNet Korea claims that Samsung recently signed a contract with Apple to produce the A8 processor at its Austin, Texas plant and that it is already in the final stages of testing.

A previous report contradicted this most recent one as it claimed Samsung was struggling with poor yields of the A8 processor and would not be able to meet Apple's demands. This resulted in the company shifting over most of the chip's production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

The iPhone 6 release date could be scheduled for fall. Apple's sapphire supplier for its plant in Mesa, Ariz., GT Advance Technologies Inc., claimed that it will return to profitability towards the end of this year, which could be a result of a fall iPhone 6 release.

"Our results for the December quarter were in line with our guidance, and the anticipated growth trajectory of our business remains unchanged," said Tom Gutierrez, president and CEO at GT Advance Technologies. "We expect to return to profitability during the second half of 2014."

The reason they expect this is because sales and mass production of the iPhone 6 in the fall will bring them much-needed revenue. The two companies partnered up and built a manufacturing plant in Arizona which will most likely be used to supply Apple with sapphire for iPhone 6 displays.

GT could also be referring to the iWatch, which is also expected to launch sometime later this year. However, a fall iPhone launch is not that far-fetched considering the last three iPhones were released during that time of year.