Apple's relationship with Samsung is on rocky territory right now, I really think Samsung should've put a ring on it ages ago. But, history can't be changed. It looks like Apple might be grabbing a contract with TMSC to build their next-generation ARM SoCs, dubbed "A6", sometime in 2012. Rumors of a partnership between Apple and TMSC began early this year before the release of the iPad 2 and its included A5 processor.

Dan Heyler, a semiconductor analyst with Merrill Lynch in Taipei told the China-based Commercial Times newspaper last Friday that TMSC is most likely producing Apple's A6 processor, a next-gen ARM-based design. At the moment Samsung is producing Apple's A5 processors based on 45nm process. TMSC is producing mobile SoCs for other smartphone and tablet makers on a 40nm process, where Apple is looking to work with TMSC to get down to a 28nm process.