Sharp To Start Making Apple iPhone5S LCD In June

The capacity of Kameyama plant has not been fully utilized because of the decline in the LCD business of Sharp. The plant has used only 40 percent of its total capacity of 600 million units per month.

The declining revenues of Sharp Corporation have been a high concern, and the company has taken the investments from companies like Apple Inc. suppliers Foxconn and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung is the largest foreign stakeholder in Sharp.

Not only Sharp but a company in Japan, Japan Display, which is the combined display division of Sony, Hitachi, Toshiba and LG Display has also garnered orders for mass production of the display screens. LG Display is the worlds largest LCD panel maker based in Seoul.The display of the next generation phone from Apple Inc. will be identical to that of the earlier iPhone. The new features will have a fingerprint sensor, faster A7 SoC and the phone will run on iOS 7 mobile operating system.  In April, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that there can be delays in the launch of the iPhone 5S due to various hurdles coming up in implementation of the fingerprint sensors along with delay in iOS development.

The iPhone 5S is said to be a low priced phone, which would be available for the larger segment. The phone will be available in various colors with enhanced camera and processor.

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Apple iPhone 6: Rumours swirl about mid-year launch?

The US technology giant Apple Inc . is reported to have started preliminary builds of the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S. The new iPhone is likely to be launched in June or July, said a report.

The report on macworld.com.au said: "Apple is currently testing two new iPhone prototypes, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek told investors in a note this week. One of the prototypes is the 'iPhone 5S', said Misek, while the other is likely to be the widely speculated cheaper iPhone."

The analyst has reportedly predicted that the next iPhone will be 0.8 inches bigger than the iPhone 5 's at 4.8 inches diagonally, adding "Similar to the iPad mini, we expect a concentrated low-cost iPhone rather than a 'cheap' one. Likely specs: polycarbonate case with 4in non-Retina display and no LTE."

Recently, Apple overtook Samsung to become the largest mobile phone vendor in the US in the fourth quarter of 2012.

In its latest report, research firm Strategy Analytics estimated that Apple shipped 17.7 million mobile phones in the US for a record 34 percent share of the market in the fourth quarter of 2012, making the tech giant the No.1 mobile phone vendor by volume in the US for the first time ever.

Samsung, Apple's arch-rival, shipped 16.8 million handsets for a 32 percent market share in the country, reported Xinhua.

The report said Apple's success has been driven by its popular ecosystem of iPhones and App Store, generous carrier subsidies and extensive marketing around the new iPhone 5 model.

However, Apple's hard-won victory is expected to be short-lived. Samsung had been the No.1 mobile phone vendor in the US since 2008 and it will surely be keen to recapture the title this year by launching improved new models such as the rumored Galaxy S4, Strategy Analytics said.

Meanwhile, the report pointed out that despite a solid fourth-quarter performance, the US mobile phone market had contracted for the first three quarters of 2012, making annual mobile phone shipments fall by 11 percent in 2012 from the year of 2011.

Earlier the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple had halved its orders for the iPhone 5. The report led Apple's share price to dip below $500 per share on Monday, but some suggest that the WSJ report was flawed, and that there may have been some stock manipulation involved.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/apple-iphone-6-rumours-swirl-about-mid-year-launch/1/248877.html

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More leaks and Rumors state strong Evidence for new iOS Devices Marching up Fast

Mockup by Falco

As the year progresses and as we get closer to the manufacturing and launches of Apple’s next-generation iOS devices (iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches), claimed pieces of evidence for these devices will appear. Today, two rumored pieces of evidence have surfaced.
Purported future-generation iPhone speaker components:

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NoWhereElse, who has published accurate photos in the past, has posted images of what it is claiming to be speaker components for two future iPhone generations. The report claims that these components are for an “iPhone 5S” (a next-generation iPhone with an iPhone 5 body), and an iPhone 6 (a redesigned handset). The claim is that the iPhone 5S will arrive this summer while the iPhone 6 is set for early 2014.
We, nor the report, can vouch for the authenticity of these parts. It is important to note, that while NoWhereElse has published accurate photos in the past, the site has been frequently inaccurate with reports based on images.
Additionally, we find it more likely, that if the parts are indeed legitimate, that one would be for the “iPhone 5S” device and the other for the rumored “cheaper” iPhone. Based on several recent reports, it seems likely that Apple’s 2013 iPhone strategy is a tweaked iPhone 5 and a cheaper iPhone, not a tweaked iPhone 5 and an iPhone revamp.
iOS 6.1 beta code purportedly points to 128GB iOS devices:

Following the latest beta release of the upcoming iOS 6.1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system, developers have begun tearing away at the software to see what secrets it may hold about the future of Apple’s devices. @iNeal made the discovery that iOS 6.1 beta 5 holds a reference to compatibility with 128GB iOS devices. Jeff Benjamin dug up the code that @iNeal is referring to, and he has provided screenshots of the evidence. He notes that iOS 6.0 does not include the “128″ system partition code.
Update: We understand that this 128GB code is also found in iOS 6.1 beta 3, which was released in early December.
Historically, Apple has doubled the available iPhone storage each time it provides a more minor “S” upgrade. For example, with the launch of the iPhone 3GS in 2009, Apple doubled the storage from 8GB and 16GB to 16GB and 32GB. With the iPhone 4S in 2011, Apple introduced a 64GB model. Following this pattern, it would not be far-fetched to assume that Apple is working on a 128GB version of the already-rumored “iPhone 5S” for this year. Additionally, with the aging iPod classic still on the market, it is plausible that Apple would like to introduce a higher-capacity iPod touch so it can finally discontinue the iPod classic.
Apple’s “iPhone 5S” is rumored to include a faster processor, 13 megapixel camera sensor, a fingerprint sensor, and an improved camera LED flash system. Numerous reports have also claimed that Apple will introduce a cheaper iPhone this year for emerging markets. That device has been claimed to include a plastic shell, versus the glass and aluminum enclosure of the iPhone 5. A version of the iPad mini with a Retina display and a fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad with iPad mini design elements have also been rumored to be in the 2013 Apple product roadmap. It seems that all of the devices will be launching in the second half of the year.

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iPhone 5S More Rumors: 13-Megapixel Camera, 128GB Memory, And Faster Processor

We all know that a new iPhone will be hitting stores' shelves this year, but what exactly will this device bring to the table? According to the latest rumors swirling around the tech world, the next iPhone should be sporting a 13-megapixel camera, a more powerful processor and could have a storage capacity as high as 128GB.

A new report from Apple-centric website iLounge states that the next iPhone should include a 13-megapixel sensor from Sony, and release sometime in July. iLounge also mentions that the iPhone 5S will feature a more powerful processor, probably a new A7 chipset and that the current iPhone prototypes are labeled N51 and N53.

Current iPhones top out at 64GB storage, but that all could change with Apple's next-gen offerings. Astute observer iNeal (via iDownload Blog) noticed that the iOS 6.1 beta includes an option for 128GB in the SystemPartitionPadding column, meaning that Apple is definitely exploring the idea of allowing iOS to run on higher capacity devices - and you can bet the iPhone will be one of them.

A 13-megapixel camera and 128GB should be the norm for high-end smartphones coming out in 2013. Just last year, Samsung announced that it had started mass producing 128GB memory chips for use in smartphones and tablets, indicating that the capacity should be proliferating itself rather quickly. With more apps and media content than ever at people's mobile fingertips, many would welcome a 128GB option, which is a 100 percent jump over the existing 64GB standard.

There are talks of a bigger iPhone, a cheaper iPhone, and iPhones in a multitude of colors, but nobody is quite sure how many iPhones will be releasing this year, or when. One thing is for certain though: Apple is eyeing its Android competition more closely now, and will be aggressively releasing more iPhones closer to each other than ever before in an attempt to give consumers enough options to choose iOS over Android. 

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Photos of alleged iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 parts leaked online

Photographs of alleged leaked iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 parts have surfaced online, suggesting that Apple is working on two new iPhones for launch this year.
The photos, which were published by French website NoWhereElse.fr, show what are believed to be speaker enclosures for two future iPhones. According to the report, the parts come from an improved version of the iPhone 5, which is being dubbed 'iPhone 5S', and an iPhone 6 with an all-new design.
NoWhereElse.fr says that the photos were taken by a worker at one of Apple's manufacturers. This anonymous source claims that the first model, the iPhone 5S, will launch between March and July, with the iPhone 6 arriving towards the end of this year.
NoWhereElse.fr also notes that it is possible that the smaller speaker component shown in the photos could alternatively be for the rumoured iPhone mini or low-cost iPhone.

Whether the photographs are legitimate remains to be seen, but NoWhereElse.fr has published accurate photos of leaked parts in the past.
Reports that Apple is working on multiple iPhone launches this year have picked up pace in recent weeks, with the latest speculation suggesting that a 4.8in iPhone, oddly dubbed 'iPhone math', is also in the pipeline.
Other rumours have also suggested that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost iPhone in order to compete with cheaper offerings from rivals such as Samsung.

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Apple rumored to unveil 4.8-inch ‘iPhone Math’ in June

Despite the fact that Apple just launched the iPhone 5 in September of last year, talk of the next iteration of the handset has already started to accumulate. It seems like we hear rumors regarding the next-gen iPhone on a weekly basis.
The latest report claims that Apple is actually planning on unveiling three new handsets this year. It says that the first two, the iPhone 5S and the ‘iPhone Math,’ will launch in June, and a third, unknown model, just before Christmas…
China Times, which has been translated by BrightWire, reports:

“Apple will announce three new iPhone models in 2013, and two of them, the 4-inch iPhone 5S and 4.8-inch iPhone Math (both featuring 8-mega-pixel cameras), will hit markets before the end of June, China Times reported citing Taiwan-based Commercial Times.

Citing Apple’s suppliers, the report added that the third model, which has not been exposed, will be launched before Christmas. The model will feature a 12-mega-pixel camera.”

We’ve heard several reports in the past few months alleging that Apple has two separate iPhones in the works — a successor for the iPhone 5 and a so-called ‘budget’ model — but this is the first time we’ve heard anything about a third one.
This is also the first time we’ve heard anything about an ‘iPhone Math.’ But it’s worth noting that the 4.8-inch display part does mesh with a report we saw last December that was based on an investor note by Jefferies analyst Peter Misek:

“Several iPhone 6 prototypes appear to be floating around. The model with a 4.8″ screen is the most interesting. It has a Retina+ IGZO screen, a new A7 quad-core processor variant, and a new form factor with no home button. Full gesture control is also possibly included.“

It wouldn’t surprise me if Apple had several iPhone prototypes floating around. For one, to evaluate them and see which models are more efficient to manufacture. And two, to keep analysts and such guessing—which seems to be working.
But if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the iPhone 5S, and possibly a budget handset. There’s nothing in Apple’s history that suggests it would name a product ‘the iPhone Math,’ and a 4.8-inch display seems almost just as unlikely.
As far as the launch though, I’m starting to think there might actually be something to this June timeframe. Going back through all of the previous next-gen iPhone reports, I noticed that roughly 90% of them all called for a June/July release.

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Apple’s 2013 in Rumors: Fingerprint Sensors and More Retina Displays, but No iTV

A much slimmer iPad, an iPad Mini with a Retina display and an iPhone with a built-in fingerprint reader could all be on tap for 2013, according to one industry analyst.
As MacRumors reports, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has published a research report that tries to predict Apple‘s entire 2013 product lineup. Although analysts tend to have terrible track records with Apple rumors, Kuo is a notable exception.
Let’s do a quick look at some of his past forecasts:

• Kuo’s January 2011 predictions about the iPad 2, including the dual-core processor, camera specs and screen resolution turned out mostly accurate. (He was off by 0.2 GHz on the clock speed of the A5 chip.)
• Apple’s iPhone 5 achieved a thickness of under 8 mm, thanks to in-cell touch technology and the use of a metal back plate instead of glass, just as Kuo predicted five months before launch.
• As Kuo expected, Apple discontinued the 17-inch MacBook Pro last year and redesigned its iMacs, but without Retina displays.

That’s a pretty good track record. So let’s hear out Kuo’s predictions for 2013:

• The iPhone 5S will be similar to its predecessor, but with a faster processor, a better camera with smart LED flash and a fingerprint reader built into the home button, which would reduce the need for passwords everywhere. Keep in mind that Apple acquired AuthenTec, a maker of fingerprint sensor technology, last year.
• A cheaper iPhone for prepaid and emerging markets–a popular rumor these days–would be a lot like the iPhone 5, but with a plastic enclosure, available in six colors.
• The next iPad will be considerably slimmer and lighter. That’d make sense given that Apple had to add bulk to its third-generation iPad to accommodate a Retina display. Kuo expects the iPad Mini to get a Retina display as well this year.
• Non-Retina display MacBook Pros will meet their maker this year, as Apple moves to an all-Retina lineup at lower prices than before.
• The MacBook Air line won’t get Retina displays this year, Kuo believes. Their main improvement will be an upgrade to Intel‘s Haswell platform, which will allow for better battery life. Apple’s iMac and Mac Mini line may get a similar upgrade, sans Retina.
• The fourth-generation iPod Touch will be discontinued, but Apple may sell a cheaper fifth-generation model in its place, with 8 GB of storage and no rear camera, starting at $199.
• Kuo thinks the Apple TV set-top box will get a refresh, but didn’t offer any details. The fabled Apple television, however, appears to be drifting off to 2014 due to those pesky content issues.

Kuo thinks most of this stuff will happen in the second half of the year, with the exception of a first quarter Apple TV refresh and new MacBook Airs in late Q2.
While there aren’t a lot of wild and crazy things on the list, Apple tends to avoid radical changes to its products, despite conventional wisdom. The fact that most of these predictions are quite reasonable–tame, even–makes me more likely to believe them. The most contentious claims are the less expensive iPhone (which smart Apple watchers no longer dismiss outright) and thumbprint tracking in the iPhone 5S (which at this point just seems like a matter of time). I wouldn’t count on Kuo’s forecast proving 100 percent accurate, but as a rough estimate of what to expect from Apple this year, it works.

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Low-Cost iPhone to Use Plastic or Hybrid Plastic/Metal Design, Due in Late 2013

Digitimes provides more details about the rumored cheaper iPhone that has been circulating. According to their supply chain sources, this new entry-level iPhone is said to adopt plastic for its chassis rather than the glass and aluminum that has been used on their current models.

They also cite other circulating rumors that suggest that the cheaper iPhone will alternatively offer a "chassis mixed with plastic and metal, with the internal metal parts being able to be seen from outside through special design".

The publication also reports that the components for the low-cost iPhone are going through validation and the final product may come to market in the second half of 2013.

Digitimes reignited the long-running rumors of a low-cost iPhone last week. The report was quickly followed by a Wall Street Journal and Reuters report claiming the same, and offering a target price of $99-$149. Subsequent comments by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller seemed to suggest that Apple was dismissive of that possibility, but that article was later retracted by the original publication.

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Apple Unofficially confirm iPhone mini

Enthusiasts could not stop talking about the so-called iPhone 5S. This month their attention has turned to concepts for the illusive iPhone Mini, as well as the low-cost iPhone.
Both products could feasibly allow the Mac maker to increase its global market share in the growing smartphone industry. Despite a plethora of hype for these products, however (including a report from The Wall Street Journal, one of the more reliable sources for new iDevices), Apple has reportedly denied the existence of a "cheap" iPhone.
One day later, the company unofficially confirmed its development.
The denial came after Reuters decided to publish a story titled, "Apple exec dismisses cheaper phone as a market share grab-report." Reuters quoted Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, who reportedly told the Shanghai Evening News that the company would not build a cheaper iPhone.
The Next Web later announced that it had verified that this was an "official" interview with Apple.
Now AppleInsider is reporting that Reuters has withdrawn the story. This is a common practice employed by news organizations when a story contains factual errors. The Associated Press did the same after Google's acquisition of ICOA proved to be a hoax.
Reuters has replaced the old story with the following message:
"Reuters has withdrawn the story headlined 'Apple exec dismisses cheaper phone as a market share grab-report' which was based on a Shanghai Evening News report that was subsequently updated with substantial changes to its content.
"No replacement story will be issued."
While it is unclear if Apple or some other source provided the Shanghai Evening News with the "substantial changes" that inspired Reuters to withdraw its story and walk away from the topic, this is a strong sign that Apple is developing a lower-cost smartphone.
Historically, Apple rumors go untouched. Analysts, bloggers and consumers spend countless hours writing about the products the company might release next. Those stories -- no matter how outrageous -- are never withdrawn. However, the moment Reuters quotes an Apple executive who reportedly stated that the firm will not develop a particular product, the story is removed.
Either someone wants to keep the rumor mill going or Apple is making a cheap iPhone.

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iPhone Mini wont debut. Phil Schiller Says It Won’t Be The ‘Future Of Apple Products’

If Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is to be believed, the widely rumored low-cost iPhone could help Apple cater to a market representing as many as 580 million potential customers. But it seems that the Cupertino tech giant is not in a mood to take it into consideration as a company executive simply turned the rumor down in a one-to-one interview with a Chinese newspaper.

Apple is not in a mood to take a low cost iPhone into consideration as the company's SVP of Worldwide marketing Phil Schiller simply turned the rumor down in a one-to-one interview with a Chinese newspaper.Apple SVP of Worldwide marketing Phil Schiller told Chinese newspaper Shanghai Evening News in an official interview that regardless of the popularity of cheaper smartphones, this would “never be the future of Apple products.”

Although iPhone’s market share rose in the fourth quarter of 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012, standing at 23 percent, it dropped down drastically to just 14.6 percent worldwide in the third quarter of 2012. Schiller did address this concern, but tried to validate Apple’s current position in the market saying that the low-cost smartphones have created a new segment in the smartphone market, which Apple does not want to explore.

Schiller said that targeting the low-end of the market by making a cheaper iPhone was not Apple’s way of doing things. Instead, in every product that Apple creates, it considers “using only the best technology available. This includes the production pipeline, the Retina display, the unibody design, to provide the best product to the market.”
“So a lot of people in the Chinese market using a functional machine, some manufacturers use cheap smartphones replace feature phones, but this is not Apple’s product development direction,” said Schiller.
Criticizing some of Apple’s competitors for releasing “multiple products in one breath,” Schiller said that after purchasing such products customers often ended up with “no suitable software products and user experience.”
Apple doesn’t want that to happen to its customers, and as Redmond Pie noted, Schiller argued that “a small product line ensures maximum software and accessory compatibility by reducing the effort on the part of developers and manufacturers to ensure that their products work on all devices.”
There is no doubt that Apple’s market share in smartphones segment has dropped notably in recent times, but despite that the company has claimed to have made significant profits.
“At first, non-smartphones were popular in the Chinese market, now cheap smartphones are more popular and non-smartphones are out,” Schiller added. “Despite the popularity of cheap smartphones, this will never be the future of Apple’s products. In fact, although Apple’s market share of smartphones is just about 20%, we own the 75% of the profit.”
Schiller nailed the cheaper iPhone rumor down. But should his comment be considered conclusive?
“Schiller’s statements aren’t conclusive in the way that they refer to exactly what price points that Apple will be targeting, only that ‘cheap smartphones’ aren’t really Apple’s fare,” said Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web. “This has always been the case and even with the ‘free’ iPhones, you’re still getting top-notch build quality, just from a couple of models ago. A ‘cheap’ smartphone would imply worse materials or construction in order to meet a price point.”
iDownloadBlog pointed to another report from Edible Apple, saying people should not confuse between a cheap iPhone and a more affordable iPhone.
“The iPad Mini is by no means cheap, but it’s certainly more affordable than the flagship iPad 4th generation,” said the report. “Similarly, a more economical iPhone might be a boon for Apple to the extent that they make more money per device sold than they currently do selling older generation models at steep discounts.”
So what’s your take on a cheaper or, to be more precise, an affordable iPhone? Will a low-cost but not cheaply made iPhone debut in 2013?

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Cheaper iPhone or iPhone Mini Could Make $6.5 Billion For Apple

iPhone Mini expected to costs around $200.
An analyst believes the rumored budget iPhone could generate upwards of $6.5 billion in revenue for Apple.

In a research note, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said he believes there's a 60 to 70 percent chance Apple will launch a lower-priced iPhone this year. He expects the the cheaper smartphone will feature a lower-quality screen and casing, as well as a potentially downgraded processor.

Munster predicts that Apple will charge nearly $200 for the off-contract phone "given Apple's history of commanding a premium to the market." The price would represent "a significant discount" when compared to the premium-priced current iPhones.

He added that if Apple launched the low-cost iPhone in September, it's likely to account for 30 percent of iPhone sales during 2013's fourth quarter. Munster believes if the proposed launch does occur, it would see the selling price of an iPhone decrease from $640 to around $520.

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Apple rumored to be working on a cheaper iPhone (iPhone Mini), could arrive in late 2013

Major news agencies far and wide have been asserting that Apple would be producing a "cheaper iPhone" for years now, and it looks as if a few fresh rumors have the smoke all roiled up again. The Wall Street Journal is today reporting that Apple is "working on a lower-end iPhone," citing only "people familiar with the matter" as proof. The article notes that the company has "explored such a device for years," but that exploration is getting closer to reality now that the smartphone universe is beginning to shift in a major way.
As the story goes, the cheaper phone "could resemble the standard iPhone, with a different, less-expensive body" -- perhaps an iPhone that relies on polycarbonate plastic instead of metal / glass. It's most certainly unlike Apple to cater to the lower-end; when the netbook craze was in full force, it resisted the obvious urge to cut corners on its MacBook Air in order to play ball in that space. And, most recently, its smaller iPad didn't come close to matching items like the Nexus 7 in price.
What remains unclear, however, is if this report is merely a masked rehash of a DigiTimes report that surfaced earlier in the day. For those unaware, DigiTimes doesn't have the purest reputation when it comes to nailing Apple rumors, and given that a low-end iPhone has been rumored for nearly as long as the iPhone has existed, it's even more unclear if there's a reason to put more stock in this one compared to those prior.

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Apple iPhone Mini Has Smartphone Costing Under $250

The Apple iPhone mini rumors have the mini costing under $250. The new iPhone mini would be a smaller budget version of the iPhone 5, which is similar to how the iPad mini shrinks the full iPad.

“The idea behind a smaller iPhone is simple – make it more affordable which in turn will open it up to a much larger user base. It’s no secret that Samsung is winning the proverbial smartphone battle as recent data shows the Korean electronics giant is expected to account for one third of all smartphones sold this year. Apple’s iPhone, on the other hand, is forecasted to capture 21 percent of the market, just a single percentage point more than last year.”

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek thinks the iPhone mini could launch early this summer at a price of $200 to $250. Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston told CNET that he thinks an iPhone mini is definitely in Apple’s future but perhaps not so soon:

“We believe Apple will have to launch an ‘iPhone Mini’ at some point over the next three years to address the hundreds of millions of prepaid users worldwide that cannot afford the current iPhone. The iPhone 5 is growing fast and profitably right now, so there is limited incentive for Apple to launch a profit-squeezing ‘iPhone Mini’ this year. We expect the ‘iPhone Mini’ to be more likely next year, in 2014, when Apple’s penetration of the global postpaid smartphone market will be nearing saturation and Apple will be forced to discover fresh growth streams elsewhere.”

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iPhone Mini to Launch in 2014

smaller iPhone will take on Asian Markets

While Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) increased the size of the iPhone 5′s screen to 4-inches, yet another analyst says it will head in the opposite direction to take on Samsung in overseas markets, CNET notes. Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston has joined a number of other analysts arguing that Apple will look to compete with Samsung in emerging markets by releasing a cheaper iPhone. In order to reduce the new phone’s cost, Apple will reduce the size of its touchscreen. While other analysts have suggested that an iPhone Mini could debut as soon as this year, Mawson considers that unlikely. He anticipates that the smaller phone will be unveiled within the next three years, most likely in 2014. Will be a target to Indian and Chinese markets.

Alternate Choice: Despite a growing chorus of reports that Apple will partner with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) to produce chips for its mobile devices, Forbes notes that many Silicon Valley experts increasingly expect it to tap Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) instead. Apple has been reportedly moving to reduce its dependence on Samsung as a manufacturing partner as the two companies have become global competitors in the mobile device market. Previous rumors have suggested the TSMC has begun preparing test runs to make Apple’s A6X mobile processors. However, MKM Partners analyst Daniel Berenbaum suggest that Intel is a more logical choice for the role since it’s greater chip-making capacity could allow it to act as an Apple chip foundry without the need for new capital investment. Rumors suggest that TSMC has been investing heavily to accommodate Apple’s anticipated orders. But Berenbaum says that TSMC’s chip-making capacity remains too restricted to meet Apple’s heavy demand.

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