Rumor: A9 processor production underway, Samsung could handle 100% of orders

Despite years of legal acrimony between Apple and Samsung, there’s still money to be made in processor manufacturing.

Per 9to5Mac and Korea’s Electronic Times, industry insiders have stated that Samsung Electronics began production of Apple’s A9 in the Austin plant in the US using the 14nm FinFET technology. Samsung has production lines capable of FinFET process production in Austin, US and Giheung, Korea, but began to produce A9 only in Austin as it is in the initial stage.

It had been reported back in July that Samsung had received some orders for the chips, which the company effectively confirmed in October when the president of the company’s chip-making division said that profits would improve once it began supplying its latest-generation chips to Apple.

It’s not yet known whether Samsung will make 100% of the A9 chips – it makes only around 40% of the current A8 processor, with TSMC taking the majority of the orders – but appears well-placed to do so. Samsung has demonstrated a 14 nanometer process while rival TSMC has as yet promised only 16 nanometer chips for next year: if Apple wants to take advantage of the latest chip tech, Samsung is the only supplier able to deliver.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.