DigiTimes reported today that Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, MediaTek and Spreadtrum Communications are gearing up to roll out their 10nm mobile chips which will be shipped in smartphones during 2017. While Samsung has been claiming that they would be first to produce 10nm processors for smartphones, TSCM`s founding chairman Morris Chang disputed that claim during a press conference at his company's annual sports and family day last month. He stated that "We have already begun churning out advanced 10-nanometer chips... I think our schedule is definitely ahead of Samsung." 

The news of TSMC ramping up 10nm chip production is really old news. Patently Apple reported earlier this month that Elizabeth Sun, a spokeswoman at TSMC stated that "TSMC will soon start mass production of chips using 10-nanometer processors. The smaller chip size allows handset makers more room for new hardware features." Our cover graphic shows you TSMC's new 10nm plant.

In September TSMC's CEO Mark Liu stated at their second quarter performance presentation that he believed that their upcoming "7nm chips are superior than Samsung Electronics' chips in PPA index that indicates Power, Performance, and Area.

Lui added that "We are going to start on tape-out on 7-nano chips in first quarter of next year and start mass-producing in early 2018." Today, TSMC's Simon Wang, senior director of business development reiterated that volume production is on target for Q1 2018.

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