Apple has been moving away from Samsung as the primary chip manufacturer for the iPhone since 2012, but it looks like the two companies will return to partners in 2015 with the iPhone 6S and Apple Watch.
Samsung continues to manufacturer over a third of all iDevice chips, but this is a lower number than in 2012, when it was the primary manufacturer for Apple.
The two companies have been in court cases for the past two years, Apple winning most in the U.S. Apple even acquired (along with Microsoft and others) the Nortel patents, developing a company named Rockstar to fight Samsung and Google. The patent troll is being wound down, after costing Apple $2.4 billion.
Apple has apparently worked things out with Samsung, and the South Korean manufacturer will become the primary manufacturer for the iPhone 6S and Apple Watch chips. Apple will work on the A9 chip for the smartphone and tablet, and the S1 chip for the Apple Watch.
The new A9 chip will feature a 14 nanometer design, consuming 35 percent less energy; 20 percent more processing performance and 15 percent less space. Samsung has been working on the design with Apple for the better part of 2014, according to reports.
The iPhone 6S will come in the first half of 2014, alongside the Apple Watch. This means the iPhone 7 is likely to be the second iPhone launched in 2015, the first time Apple launches two new iPhones in one year.
Apple is looking at 80 million unit sales for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus before the end of 2014. Even though Samsung may not like it, Apple is a great partner for huge projects, as long as they can fulfil the order.
