Samsung has set the Galaxy S8 release date around April 2017 but there is a big possibility that the schedule could be pushed back. And the same goes for the iPhone 8 launch that is expected to take place September this year. Blame it on the low production yields of 10nm FinFET technologies, a new report said.
The overall yield rates for 10nm SoCs have been "unsatisfactory" so far, DigiTimes said in a report, adding that the same output difficulties "have pushed back smartphone SoC suppliers' schedules to ship their next-generation products." The problem has been reported to impact on the production and release calendars of TSMC and Samsung.
TSMC is mass producing the next-generation 10nm A11 chip that is believed to be the chip that will power Apple's iPhone 8 and other iOS devices that will be released this year. Samsung, on the other hand, is making use of the same technology for the wholesale production of its in-house Exynos 8895 chip and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835.
The 10nm low yield rates, according to WCCFTech, is the likely the chief reason Samsung was forced to delay the commercial debut of its first flagship device of the year - the Galaxy S8. The GS8 and its supersized twin, the Galaxy S8 Plus, have been rumored to come out as early as February 2017 but Samsung pushed back to April and it turned out that SoC production problem is to blame.
It possible too that LG G6 was released without SD 835 no thanks to the same predicament.
And the chance is high Apple will have to deal with the same issue in the event TSMC will be unable to ramp the large-scale production of A11 mobile processors. Analysts have indicated that production activities for the 2017 iPhones will commence between May and June, adding more pressures on TSMC to pick up pace.
Going by on the previous product cycles employed by Apple, the next iPhone release date - said to consist of the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 7S/7S Plus - will likely happen as early as September 2017, but could be pushed back to October or November if TSMC's 10nm chip production struggles will not be resolved.