MediaTek's Helio X30 SoC designed for mid-range and high-end smartphones will be ready for volume production in the first quarter of 2017. The chips will be built by TSMC using the foundry's 10nm process technology, according to industry sources.

TSMC is also working with Apple on 10nm chip designs that will go into production later in 2017, said the sources. TSMC will also offer its backend integrated fan-out (InFO) wafer-level packaging (WLP) technology for Apple's 10nm A11 chips, the sources indicated.

In addition, the sources believe that Qualcomm will continue to cooperate with Samsung Electronics to produce its next-generation Snapdragon 830 chips utilizing 10nm technology. TSMC lost orders for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 series to Samsung.

TSMC at its July investors meeting indicated that its 10nm process will start generating revenues in the first quarter of 2017. The node has received product tape-outs from three clients, and more tape-outs are expected to come later in 2016, the foundry said.