Multiple reports in 2014 conveyed that Samsung would be the lead supplier for the next-gen Apple A9 chips, which would be built on a brand-new 14nm manufacturing process. As it turns out, Apple favors Taiwan's TSMC over Samsung foundries as their primary chip supplier. According to the report, the primary supplier of Apple A9 chips would be TSMC, and that Apple would use Samsung only as a backup, perhaps to meet excess demand.

The new Apple A9 could be built using a shrunk 16nm node by TSMC. At present, the Apple A8 SoC is produced using TSMC's 20nm manufacturing process.