Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL): Samsung Still Supplying A5 32-Nanometer Chips to The Company

iFixit has already taken apart the Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPad Mini to study the inner components in detail, earlier today. Chipworks, however, is more interested in analyzing the chips that have been embedded into the device. The outstanding feature is the A5 system-on-a-chip, and the report from Chipworks confirmed that the iPad Mini is manufactured using a chip by Samsung on a 32-nanometer process.

The A5 chip was initially thought to be using a 45-nanometer process, but the 32-nanometer one being more efficient and smaller in size, Apple quickly made the transition to it quietly with the unveiling of the revamped iPad 2 and the 3^rd-generation Apple TV in the month of April. The 5^th-generation iPod touch, introduced last month also uses the A5 chip.

The Apple A5X was introduced with great pomp and show and it was then that Apple made the switch to a new 32nm version and included it in other products too. This is a deliberate move on the part of the company, as they want to provide users with a complete experience and not be judged using only technical specifications as the defining parameters.

Due to such action, speculations are rife if the same process will be repeated in case of the latest generation of Apple A5 processor. However, it will not be the case. Cross-sections of the A5 chip in iPad Mini seem to be same as those from other recent A5 chips. This means that Samsung is still supplying the main chip for iOS devices. Apple is currently trying to negotiate a deal with another supplier, TSMC, but the progress has been very slow.