"How could this happen? Could it be that Apple wants to give up TSMC in full?"
Lao Zhang broke out in a cold sweat: "Huawei rejected us, and Apple also rejected us. How could this happen?"
"I don't know if Samsung gave us a very low price, which made Apple completely abandon us?" said the subordinate.
Lao Zhang frowned: "It is possible, in this way, you can find a way to explore Apple's bottom and see what kind of agreement has been reached with Samsung."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, Lao Zhang was restless and quickly held a high-level meeting: "Two bad news."
“Huawei rejected our 16-nanometer process.”
"We were also turned away from Apple!"
“???”
“!!!”
"how so!"
Everyone in the room was shocked and full of incredible surprise.
"Mad! Damn it, when did we TSMC get so angry?"
"That is, before TSMC represented the world's most advanced and mature chip technology. Every year, Apple, Qualcomm, and Huawei are begging us to produce chips for them. How could it be so frustrating?"
"Oh, you also said that it was the past. Isn't Samsung surpassing us now?"
"One time, another time!"
"But something is still wrong. Apple rejects us and will choose Samsung's 14-nanometer process, but how could Huawei reject us? Could it be that they will continue to use Xingyi Technology's 28-nanometer next year?"
"This is possible. After all, Huawei HiSilicon has a short start time and limited R&D capabilities. If 16 nanometers are used for them, they may not be able to design such high-spec chips."
"Yes, I guess Huawei's 16-nanometer chip will be at least 2016. Next year they will still be 28-nanometers, so just continue to manufacture Xingyi Technology."
"What about Apple? They have such a large size, don't they always have a dual-supplier strategy? They will feel at ease when they are handed over to Samsung OEM?"
"This is what I don't understand the most. Huawei's research and development is slow, so it is normal to reject us 16 nanometers. Why does Apple also refuse?"
"According to Apple's style, it is expected that a total of 120 million A9 chips will be placed. Even if it is given to Samsung, it will be left with TSMC 36 million. How can one not be given?"
"This is unreasonable."
"Yes, it's totally unreasonable, why?"
Lao Zhang was also confused.
I couldn't figure it out, so I waited for another two days, but I was still turned away.
Lao Zhang was not calm and couldn't help but dial Cook's phone call late at night in the East:
"Mr. Cook, I'm sorry to bother you. It's really important."
Cook frowned, but thought that TSMC's overall strength is still stronger than Samsung, and it is very likely that the next generation will make a comeback, so he said patiently: "You said that, Mr. Zhang."
Lao Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and said: "It's like this. Samsung Semiconductor gave up the 20-nanometer process and jumped directly to the 14-nanometer process. This is only a little ahead of us, but not much. And it plagiarized a large number of our core technologies!"
"Do you know Lao Liang? He was the technical director of our TSMC before. Now he has gone to Samsung, which has allowed Samsung to develop a 14-nanometer process in advance."
"And we sued Lao Liang and Samsung, and we won the first instance, and the second instance is not a problem. Lao Liang will leave Samsung soon and will not be able to continue serving Samsung!"
Cook understood Lao Zhang's words:
First, Samsung's R&D capabilities are very average and plagiarize TSMC's core technology in large quantities.
Second, Samsung's 14-nanometer and other cutting-edge core technologies rely on Mr. Liang.
Third, Mr. Liang lost the case and was about to leave Samsung. Without Mr. Liang, Samsung's next 10-nanometer process will be completely difficult to produce. TSMC will make progress smoothly.
Fourth, if you Apple wants to follow up high-end processes, the 10-nanometer field will depend on our TSMC! Therefore, we have to consider who will give the A9 chip order next year and how to allocate it.
Just a few short sentences clearly show the facts, explain the truth, and even show off your muscles.
Cook couldn't help but sit up straight.
He knew that Lao Zhang did not exaggerate, and that he was talking about the truth.
TSMC has two brushes.
"So, Mr. Zhang, what do you mean?" Cook kicked the ball back.
"Mr. Cook, our TSMC's 16-nanometer process will be fully put into production in the second half of next year. We can give priority to Apple's A9 chips. I don't know if the A9 chip order can..."
Cook frowned, and it was indeed coming for the A9 chip order: "Sorry, Mr. Zhang, we have given Samsung the A9 chip order next year. They will produce 14-nanometer chips at the beginning of next year. We need time, I'm really sorry."
Damn! Samsung's slut is so fast? Lao Zhang's face changed drastically:
"Mr. Cook, Apple has always adopted a dual-supplier strategy to prevent supply crisis. Although your A9 chip orders have been given a lot, we can still divide it into part of it. Don't have too much, even a small part of it."
Such a posture is already very low.
For TSMC, it has never been before.
Previously, TSMC represented the most advanced technology of mobile chips in the world, and it was all Apple and Qualcomm sought.
Wherever Lao Zhang went, his nostrils were facing the sky, and he had not been so humble yet.
Thinking of the subsequent cooperation, Cook sighed: "What month will TSMC be able to mass-produce A9 in the second half of next year?"
"August, no, July, I promise!"
"Is July?" Cook fell into deep thought and was a little difficult to make a decision for a while.
Seeing Cook hesitating, Lao Zhang spoke decisively: "Mr. Cook, we TSMC are not greedy. We only need to order 40 million A9 chips!"
"How much?" Cook's mouth twitched.
"Forty million." Lao Zhang smiled and said, "This is one-third of the total volume of Apple's A9 chips. According to iPhone sales, iPhone 6S and 6s plus, it is no problem to sell 120 million units worldwide. We only need one-third, and the remaining 80 million are given to Samsung."
Lao Zhang felt that he had already made huge concessions when he did this, and Cook had no reason to refuse.
Unexpectedly, Cook's face changed sharply on the other side of the phone and his tone became angry:
"Dr. Zhang, there are not so many orders for A9 chips. The orders we gave to Samsung are only 60 million in total! Look at other customers."
"There are only 60 million in total?"
Old Zhang was stunned and wanted to say something else: "Mr. Cook...
But on the other side of the phone, Cook hung up the phone angrily.
“???”
Old Zhang was stunned: "Cook was angry? He was so angry that he hung up the phone?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"What does it mean that A9 doesn't have that many orders, only 60 million were given to Samsung?"
"How is this possible?"
"Normally, there are 120 million A9 orders, and 90 million are given to Samsung, and 30 million of our TSMC, what's wrong?"
"Wait, A9 doesn't have that many chip orders..."
Repeating Cook's words, Lao Zhang suddenly realized that his expression became ugly:
"Damn! Why did I forget this?!"
"The apple now is no longer the apple it used to be!"
"The sales of iPhones are no longer the sales of iPhones before!"
"According to the previous momentum, the total sales volume of iPhone 6S plus plus has no problem with exceeding 120 million units, and the A9 chip also started with 120 million units."
"But now the iPhone is severely impacted by Xingyi mobile phones, Apple's sales have dropped sharply. It's difficult for iPhone 6S plus plus to say 120 million units, not to mention 60 million units."
"No wonder I only gave Samsung 60 million!"
"No wonder Cook is so angry!"
"Mad, forgot about this."
"Oh, I'm so stupid!"
Lao Zhang thought everything and his expression became very ugly.
Apple is like this. Lao Zhang also said that Apple can sell 120 million units and require 40 million orders. Isn’t this a poke in Cook’s lungs?
No wonder Cook was angry, he must have thought he was deliberately mocking Apple.
Sure enough, Cook was so angry that he hung up:
"It's OK, even TSMC has come out to mock us? It's really a tiger that falls into a flat sun and is bullied by a dog! Farke!"
"Isn't it just that we gave all the chip orders to Samsung, and the Zhang surnamed mocked me like this?"
"Fake!"
"Fake!"
Cook was so angry that his hands began to tremble: "Not only will the A9 chip next year be given to Samsung, but also the A9X chip orders for iPad Pro are also given to Samsung!"
The vice president agreed very much: "This is just right, and it will be convenient to negotiate prices with Samsung. If it is separated, it will be difficult to negotiate prices."
Cook nodded: "Yes, one time, another. Before, we could buy more than 100 million units of a mobile phone, and a chip could produce more than 100 million units. Even if Samsung and TSMC place orders, they can maintain more than 60 million units of a single side. With such a large size, there is no problem with the price negotiation."
"But now we are severely impacted by Xingyi mobile phones, and they have achieved internationalization again. This year's IPhone 6 series is probably not selling well, not to mention next year's iPhone 6S series? The sales volume is definitely worse."
"Not to mention selling 120 million units per year, 60 million units are dead, and there are only 60 million A9 chips. And it's not a year, but sales in the next two years."
"A little sales volume is enough to put 60 million chips in one place, but fortunately, the price is negotiated. If it is divided into two more, it will be even harder to negotiate."
"Yes, the situation has changed." The vice president was also filled with emotion.
The more Cook thought about it, the more angry he became: "I didn't expect that Lao Zhang would also ridiculously mocked our Apple sales plummeted!"
The vice president couldn't help but say, "Chairman, could it be that Lao Zhang didn't expect that so many? He didn't expect that our volume drop would be so serious?"
Cook smiled coldly: "Hmph! Didn't think so much? He is not a fool, how can he not understand these? I think Lao Zhang is just angry that we gave the order of A9 chips to Samsung. He deliberately said this to mock us!"
"It must be so!"
"I guess, this guy is really not a guy!" The vice president also echoed.
At this time, Cook's cell phone rang again, and it was still Lao Zhang's phone.
But Cook just glanced at it and refused.
Lao Zhang's mouth twitched: "..."
"The conscience of the world, I really didn't expect Apple to drop so quickly. Next year's A9 chip order will be only a little bit!"
Lao Zhang's face looked a little ugly.
Whenever he thought of this, he would not speak like this, making Cook think he was sarcastic about Apple, and thus became furious...
But unfortunately, it's too late.
The next day, Lao Zhang came to TSMC and held another high-level meeting:
"There is something to say. Apple's chip order next year is scrapped, so don't think about it."
Hearing this, everyone changed their color: "How could this happen?"
"Chairman, even if Samsung takes the big head, 80 million A9 chips, can't we get the small head 40 million?"
"Yes, Chairman, Huawei is cold here, Apple A9 is colder, and Qualcomm's 20nm Snapdragon 810 will be supported in the first half of next year, but will we drink the northwest wind in the second half of next year?"
Lao Zhang was helpless: "We ignored the fact that in the face of the severe impact of Xingyi mobile phones after the internationalization, Apple is no longer the same Apple as it was back then. The sales of iPhones will also be halved. The total number of orders from the A9 chips to the suspension after they were launched has been 60 million. Just that, it was given to Samsung. Where can we still have our share?"
"this……"
Everyone was completely silent, a little confused:
"The iPhone still had more than 100 million sales last year, and it will be so bad next year? Only 60 million left? Isn't this possible?"
Lao Zhang waved his hand: "Nothing is impossible. Apple is so bad now. The annual sales of iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S plus are expected to be only 40 million units, and the total sales volume of the discontinuation of production has exceeded 60 million units. Therefore, the orders for A9 chips are so small, and they are all given to Samsung, and we have no share."
"Oh, the apples are so useless. Then will we be finished next year?"
"It's not just that next year is over, I'm worried that something will happen this year."
"What's the meaning?"
"This year, Xingyi's internationalization of mobile phones will fully impact Apple. Not only will the order volume of A9 chip next year be halved, but the order volume of A8 chips this year will also plummet, right?"
"This..." Everyone changed their color.
"A8 is our OEM. If the order volume plummets, wouldn't we have a bad year?"
"Yes, that's it. It's so troublesome!"
Lao Zhang's face turned gloomy: "According to the past, Apple should have added the second batch of chip orders at this time. However, this year, except for the first batch of A8 orders of 70 million, Apple did not add the second batch of orders."
"It's true, I said why Apple has not added orders. It turned out that the sales of 5s are too ugly. Apple is not optimistic about the expected sales of iPhone 6 and plus that will be launched in the second half of the year."
"Yes, it's not stressful to sell 100 million units in iPhone 6 and plus one year, and it's 150 million to 200 million units before the suspension. But now, it's probably good to sell 50 million annually. It can sell 80 million to 200 million units before the suspension."
"Next year's iPhone 6S series will only be even worse, and it will have to lose 20% more!"
"Waste, Apple is really waste! What should we do if they lose the amount like this? We spent so much money on developing the 20-nanometer process to build this chip for Apple? It's so hard that we can't get the money!"
"Apple is useless, and Qualcomm is also useless. The Snapdragon 810 chip orders are not large, which makes us not enough orders and it is difficult to recover."
"This year's 20 nanometers are pretty good, at least with A8 and Snapdragon 810. Even if you don't make money, you can still get some money back. But what to do next year's 16-nanometer process? Even the chip order is gone, and you will lose all your pants."
"Oh, this is a big problem. Samsung has Apple orders next year, its own chip orders, and it can still live a prosperous life, so our TSMC will be in a miserable state."
"Next year, Apple chips won't get them, Huawei won't get them, and Qualcomm won't be successful, it's really over."
"If we had known this, we shouldn't have offended Xingyi Technology. Now the one with the most sales of mobile phones is not Apple, but Xingyi mobile phones. The one with the highest orders for mobile phone chips is also Xingyi mobile phones!"
"If you don't offend Xingyi Technology, you can still win Xingyi Technology's 16-nanometer chip order next year. They can't make 16-nanometers by themselves, so we can just get OEM. But the relationship between the two parties is really..."
"Oh! Since I heard Qualcomm's words last time, I have completely broken up the chips of Xingyi Technology. Next year, Xingyi Technology would rather use Samsung's 14 nanometers, but we would not use our TSMC's 16 nanometers!"
"It would be great if we could win Xingyi Technology. Our 16-nanometer process can have an order of 150 million or even 200 million!"
"If I had known today, why should I be there in the past!"
Listening to these words, Lao Zhang's face was extremely gloomy, but his heart was filled with regret.
Who would have thought that Qualcomm, a big player who was optimistic about before, would become a waste of money and orders plummeted.
The unpopular little giant Xingyi Technology has become an absolute overlord and a giant-level big customer!
If I had known that Xingyi Technology was so powerful, TSMC would not have given up Xingyi Technology even if it had given up Qualcomm.
But unfortunately, it was too late and it was over.
Lao Zhang was so sad that he felt extremely regretful.
The vice president couldn't help but say: "The broken mirror can still be reunited. Next year, Apple will launch the 14-nanometer chip produced by Samsung. Xingyi Technology will also need the same process to compete with Apple. Although we had an unhappy past, as long as we lower our heads, take the initiative to ease the relationship, and give up some of the benefits, Xingyi Technology is still willing to hand over the order for Kunpeng flagship processor next year."
When the others heard this, their eyes lit up and they spoke:
"This is a good solution. As long as it is done, we will definitely win a large order of 100 million chips, and our 16-nanometer process will be stable."
"It's so difficult. Don't you know Mr. Wang's temper? Last time, Xingyi Technology was cut off, how could it be possible to cooperate with us now?"
"Oh, this is indeed difficult, but it may not be without hope. It's just that the price must be large enough, the OEM price must be low enough, and give enough sincerity. And those who bow their heads will have enough weight and give enough face to Mr. Wang, otherwise Mr. Wang will really ignore us."
"It makes sense, the price is easy to say. Our 16-nanometer is three stars half a year behind, so we have no choice but to be low enough. But those who bow their heads must have enough weight to satisfy Mr. Wang, which is difficult."
"Yes, whose weight can satisfy Mr. Wang? Could it be..."
As he said that, everyone looked at Lao Zhang together.
"..." Lao Zhang's lips twitched, and he wanted to curse in his heart: "You mean, let me, Mr. Zhang, chairman of TSMC, go and bow your head to apologize to Wang Yi in person?"
Everyone nodded together.
"Mad! You're crazy!" Old Zhang's expression was extremely difficult to see: "I don't want to be face?"
"Lao Zhang, is face important or inner strength important? Are you important or TSMC's future important?"
"Yes, Chairman, for the future of TSMC, you can sacrifice it!"
"I..." Lao Zhang's mouth twitched.
"Chairman, I can't get the orders of Xingyi Technology. Our TSMC has no orders for 16 nanometers in the second half of next year. After spending so much money to develop the 16-nanometer process, you don't want to have no grains, right?"
"The most important thing is that if 16 nanometers are not profitable, how can I continue to develop 10 nanometers or even 7 nanometers next?"
"16 nanometers are already behind Samsung. If there is not enough money to maintain subsequent R&D, 10 nanometers and 7 nanometers will continue to fall behind. At that time, the high-end will be suppressed by Samsung, the mid-end will be suppressed by Xingyi Semiconductor, and the low-end will be impacted by SMIC, then our TSMC will be finished."
"Oh, it's really over to that point."
"Chairman, the only one who can save TSMC is Xingyi Technology! No, it's only you!"
"I..." Lao Zhang was speechless for a moment, and he was reluctant in his heart, but he couldn't refute it.
As everyone said, the only one who can save TSMC now is Xingyi Technology!
Other Apples join Samsung, Qualcomm will still be 20nm next year, and Huawei also refuses to cooperate, and it is not large in size.
The only one that can give TSMC a large order of hundreds of millions of 16-nanometer chips is Xingyi Technology!
What should I do?
"Does it really mean that I, Mr. Zhang, apologize to Mr. Wang personally?" Old Zhang couldn't help but speak.
"Chairman, a real man can bend and stretch, and Han Xin can bear the humiliation under his crotch, let alone this little thing?"
"Yes, it is acceptable for the chairman to sacrifice a little appropriately for the development and future of TSMC."
Even the major shareholder spoke: "Old Zhang, you don't want TSMC's 16-nanometer process to have no orders next year, and the losses will be heavy, causing the stock price to plummet, right?"
"I..." Lao Zhang was speechless.
Another major shareholder's expression became even more unkind: "If you ignore TSMC's future for the sake of face, we will not rule out a large-scale reduction in holdings!"
Upon hearing this, Lao Zhang's expression changed drastically.
He is the chairman of TSMC and the soul, but he cannot cover the sky with just one hand.
Once this matter is not handled well, several major shareholders took advantage of the fact that TSMC has a lot of orders this year and the market is not bad. If they reduce their holdings by a large amount, TSMC will be ruined and their stock price will collapse!
It will collapse this year!
Once TSMC's stock price collapses this year, it will only collapse next year and it will be even more terrible!
This doesn't work!
Lao Zhang took a deep breath and his face was extremely gloomy: "Okay, I'll call myself to apologize to Mr. Wang, and ask Mr. Wang to give us a 16-nanometer chip order!"
"That's right, a real man can bend and stretch. Lao Zhang, you are this!" As he said that, a major shareholder gave his thumbs up.
Others also spoke one after another: "With Dong Zhang, TSMC has a bright future!"
"Yes, the chairman is our TSMC's Dinghai Sword."
"Once you win the order of hundreds of millions of chips from Xingyi Technology, TSMC will stabilize and the crisis next year will disappear. It is all the credit of the chairman."
But another major shareholder spoke quietly: "Lao Zhang, since you have decided to apologize to Mr. Wang in person, I think you must give enough posture."
Lao Zhang frowned: "What does it mean?"
The man continued, "Old Zhang, the phone apology is not sincere, and Director Wang may not admit it."
"???" Lao Zhang was furious: "What do you mean? You also want me to go to the imperial capital in person, go to Xingyi Technology, come to the door and beg to Wang Yi in person, apologize to Wang Yi? Are you asking for a large chip order?"
"It's too much!"
"It's too much!"
Old Zhang was furious and rolled up his sleeves:
"Call Wang Yi and lower his head to apologize, it is my bottom line. I still want me to go to the imperial capital in person and come to ask for an apology? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Chapter completed!