Gary Sims / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple will likely continue to rely on Samsung to supply components for the M2.
- Samsung would provide a critical component necessary in high-performance chip design.
Apple is hard at work on its upcoming M2 chips, and it looks like Samsung could continue to play a key role in manufacturing them.
Apple and Samsung’s relationship is a complicated one, with the companies usually taking the top two slots in the smartphone market. Despite the occasional lawsuits and acrimony, the two companies work together frequently. There appears to be no end in sight for the reluctant partnership, with Samsung Electro-Mechanics tapped to provide the flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) for Apple’s upcoming M2.
The FC-BGA is a substrate that connects the chip to the main substrate, allowing for increased signal density and functionality, especially in smaller semiconductor dies. As a result, this is a critical component, especially in high-performance chips. Apple used Samsung to supply FC-BGAs for its initial M1, but ET News says the company would continue supplying the component for the M2.
See also: Qualcomm’s new PC chips are good, but they still can’t match Apple’s M1
Apple took the computing world by storm when it began migrating away from Intel to its own homegrown M1. The processor is essentially a desktop version of the chips that have powered iPhones and iPads for years. The M1 shown a spotlight on the shortcomings of traditional x86 processors — such as those from Intel and AMD — by providing comparable performance, while delivering unrivaled energy efficiency.
Given the M1’s revolutionary leap forward, many are hoping the M2 delivers an equally impressive upgrade. Apple’s continued reliance on suppliers with a proven track record of delivering the goods is certainly a promising sign users may get exactly what they want.
