Apple’s American Manufacturing Program includes a new chip deal with Samsung

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First US plant to make Apple chips almost ready for mass production | Close-up of silicon wafer

Here’s an interesting tidbit from today’s flurry of announcements tied to Apple’s new $100 billion American Manufacturing Program: the company is entering a new chip manufacturing partnership with Samsung. Here are the details.

New tech for new chips

According to Apple, they are working with Samsung’s Austin, Texas facility, to bring to the U.S. “an innovative new technology for making chips, which has never been used before anywhere in the world”.

In the press release, Apple doesn’t specify what this new technology is, but says that the Austin facility “will supply chips that optimize power and performance of Apple products, including iPhone devices shipped all over the world.”

Here’s Apple’s full statement:

Apple is also working with Samsung at its fab in Austin, Texas, to launch an innovative new technology for making chips, which has never been used before anywhere in the world. By bringing this technology to the U.S. first, this facility will supply chips that optimize power and performance of Apple products, including iPhone devices shipped all over the world.

While that’s not much to go on, there is speculation suggesting that Samsung (rather than Sony) will supply Apple with next-generation ISOCELL camera sensors, built at the same Austin facility.

And while camera sensors aren’t typically described as components that “optimize power and performance,” this is ultimately a carefully worded press release made to appease and make the current U.S. administration look good, so a bit of creative framing could be on the table.

Be it as it may (and, again, without knowing the specifics), it is interesting to see Apple turn to Samsung, rather than TSMC, its primary chip partner, or even Intel, which has been lobbying hard for foundry business and government incentives, to pilot what it calls a “never been used before anywhere in the world” chipmaking technology on U.S. soil.

TSMC, for its part, has also recently announced plans to expand its total investment in the U.S. to $165 billion, including “three new fabs, two advanced packaging facilities and an R&D center” per the company’s own press release.

What do you think this new chip could be? Let us know in the comments.