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Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

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Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#471

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, they definitely don't. I'm just pointing out that Apple can afford to forfeit the latest nodes without sacrificing anything important, whereas Nvidia cannot.

Apple can't sleep on chip advances either. Intel seems to be very competitive again when it comes to laptop battery life. If macbooks again get the reputation of sluggy and overheating that's not great for sales.

For laptops, maybe. For iPhone and iPad, more power is the last thing Apple should be focusing on.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#472
post #434

AI is suffocating everyone else, it's slowing down innovation and productivity if it's not linked to AI. That's going to be a problem for society and the world economy.

Quite frankly, I prefer that to advertisement and App Stores suffocating innovation and productivity. Hopefully being asphyxiated by AI kicks Apple and Google into high gear.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed TSMC can do whatever they want. in 2027 no other fabs will match what tsmc has today, anything that requires the latest process node is going to get more expensive, so your apple silicone and your AMD chips

As of today Intel is very around leading node

Damn, you would think it would be priced in…

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#474

Sneak preview of the TSMC shortage that will sweep the world in 2027 when China takes Taiwan and the TSMC scuttles their chip fabs on the island. I don’t know the hedge to position against this but I’m pretty sure China will make good on its promise.

I have heard about that since I was a child

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#475

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then why are they switching from Sony to Samsung for custom camera sensors for the next iPhone? Why do they keep using Samsung for their customized screens despite LG and Chinese competitors being competitive?

Does Apple spend R&D on iPhone screens like they do Apple Silicon? What's that got to do with what we're talking about regarding iPhone's core IP (Apple's own chip, the most important IP from Apple)?

> Does Apple spend R&D on iPhone screens like they do Apple Silicon

yes

> What's that got to do with what we're talking about regarding iPhone's core IP

The iPhone's core IP is iOS.

Collaboration on display and camera development leak major future milestones. Far more consumers care about cameras and displays than the CPU. Just like the camera and display the CPU IP is also protected by patents.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be feasible for them to buy Intel instead? Starting your own foundry would likely take over a decade.

Apple could afford Intel, and could get past antitrust by arguing military security. Who's mobile phone can politicians trust? Then again, Microsoft should have bought Intel: MS has roughly $102 billion in cash (+ short-term investments). Intel’s market value is approximately $176 billion. Considering Azure, Microsoft has heaps of incentive to buy Intel. I would guess Google are more likely to greenfield develop thei…

> and could get past antitrust by arguing military security

Antitrust would certainly block Apple specifically for this reason. Apple is not a credible supplier of DoD hardware and acquiring IFS would complicate their status as a Trusted Foundry.

If Apple had more time to reform their image and invest in MIL-STD processes then maybe it would work. As-is, I'd be shocked if the US let Intel become the victim of a hostile takeover. Even for a company as important as Apple.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#477
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But wasn't the reason they split with Samsung because they copied the iphone in the perspective of Jobs (to which he reacted with thermonuclear threats)? They did had the expertise building it after all. What would happen, if TSMC now would build a M1 clone? I doubt this is a way anyone wants to go, but it seems a implied threat to me that is calculated in.

Job's thermonuclear threats were about Android & Google, not Samsung because Schmidt was on Apple's board during the development of Android. > "I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this." The falling out with Samsung was re…

Oh shit I didn't know he was on the board, I thought the story was just that they decided to be a competitor.

So, Schmidt had inside knowledge of before following Apple into the smartphone category? That makes the vengeful fury less unhinged.

Sounds like those $40b did not end up running out.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#478

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At these scales everyone is antagonistic, it comes with the territory.

That's what MBA schools teach you. That's also a lie, it's only antagonistic when one of the sides is controlled by a psychopathic asshole, and it being antagonistic is a serious drag for the gains of both sides.

What company at these scales isn’t run by a psychopathic asshole? It also comes with the territory.

Re: Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage

#479
post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

non Apple consumers were already used to this clown fiesta since AMD processors had late access to SoTA nodes for the very same reason. And possibly other types of hardware also had price bumped or used outdated chips because Apple has to build their iPhone/mac n+1. That's why you see some folks actually mocking Apple about the situation. They were already affected. If anything this might force a market-wide fix in t…

I mean sure it is fun to pick one company and hate it, but this is not the point being argued here. But the point here is that a few companies are outbidding everyone else, hoarding shittons of compute and putting it into their data centers, to rent to people. This is effectively taking compute ownership away from consumers and centralizing compute i.e. un-democratising. Apple outcompeting other companies to put thei…

If consumers cared about compute ownership then they wouldn't be buying iPhones. This feels like a fairly natural progression of things, albeit a bit disappointing to Apple fans.
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