Apple CEO Tim Cook Was Unimpressed With Intel’s Chipmaking Services In 2011 Reveals TSMC Founder

台积电创始人披露，2011年，苹果CEO蒂姆·库克不满意英特尔的芯片制造服务

Apple CEO Tim Cook did not hold back when describing Intel's contract manufacturing division to TSMC founder Dr. Morris Chang when he set up the world's largest contract chip manufacturer. In his autobiography, Dr. Chang shared his journey of setting up TSMC and landing a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss making chips for the firm. According to the details, Cook was left unimpressed by Intel's contract manufacturing capabilities, and he shared his opinion with Chang in a meeting that would end up shaping one of the most consequential decisions for the semiconductor industry.

苹果CEO蒂姆·库克在与台积电创始人张忠谋讨论英特尔的代工部门时，毫不掩饰自己的看法。张忠谋在自传中分享了他创立全球最大芯片代工厂台积电的经历，以及与苹果CEO库克会面讨论为苹果制造芯片的细节。根据自传内容，库克对英特尔的代工能力印象不佳，并在与张忠谋的一次会面中表达了他的观点。这次会面最终促成了对半导体行业影响深远的决策。

Intel's Decision To Compete With TSMC For Apple's Business Led To A Two-Month Negotiation Suspension

英特尔试图与台积电竞争苹果订单，导致谈判中断两个月

TSMC is Apple's primary contract manufacturer for all processors found in the iPhone, MacBook, iPad and other gadgets. The iPhone is Apple's biggest product, and while Apple did experiment with a dual-source strategy for its chip requirements with some iPhone models, purported quality problems with Samsung Foundry's products forced the firm to rely on TSMC as its sole-source for all processor chip requirements.

台积电是苹果的主要芯片代工厂，生产用于iPhone、MacBook、iPad及其他设备的处理器。iPhone是苹果最重要的产品，尽管苹果曾尝试通过部分iPhone机型的“双来源”策略来满足芯片需求，但由于三星代工产品存在质量问题，这迫使苹果依赖台积电作为其所有处理器芯片的唯一供应商。

The close partnership between the two also enables Apple to control the design of not only its smartphone but also its computer processors. The latter has enabled it to shift away from Intel's chips, as it can secure access to TSMC's leading-edge manufacturing technologies before any other firm in the world.

双方的密切合作还使苹果能够掌控智能手机和电脑处理器的设计。这一设计能力帮助苹果摆脱了对英特尔芯片的依赖，因为它可以优先获得台积电的领先制造技术。

TSMC's founder, Dr. Morris Chang, shared details about his earliest discussion with Apple to initially manufacture chips for the iPhone. The iPhone was Apple's first mobile gadget to use the A series chips, as other products, such as the iPad, were released later. Apple's processors for the iPhone, iPod and other products relied on Samsung's manufacturing until the Apple A8, which powered the iPhone 6 lineup.

张忠谋在自传中透露了他与苹果初次洽谈为iPhone制造芯片的细节。iPhone是苹果首款使用A系列芯片的移动设备，而其他产品如iPad则在之后才推出。在此之前，苹果iPhone、iPod和其他产品的处理器主要由三星代工，直到2014年推出的iPhone 6系列采用了A8芯片。

The A8, built with the 22-nanometer manufacturing process and launched in 2014, was the first chip to rely on Samsung and TSMC, and since then, TSMC has gradually taken over all of Apple's chip manufacturing requirements.

A8芯片是基于22纳米制程的芯片，首款A8芯片由三星和台积电共同生产的芯片，自那以后，台积电逐步接管了苹果所有芯片的制造需求。

In his autobiography, Chang shares how he first met with Apple CEO Tim Cook to land Apple's processor contract manufacturing orders. According to him, Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, played a key role in setting up a meeting between Chang and Cook. Williams and Chang established a connection through Foxconn founder Terry Gou, a cousin of Chang's wife.

在自传中，张忠谋分享了他与苹果CEO库克首次会面时争取苹果处理器代工订单的细节。根据张忠谋的说法，苹果首席运营官杰夫·威廉姆斯在促成他与库克的会面中发挥了关键作用。威廉姆斯和张忠谋的联系是通过富士康创始人郭台铭建立的，而郭台铭是张忠谋妻子的表弟。

Foxconn is Apple's primary contract manufacturer for the iPhone and other gadgets. Like TSMC, it has played a key role in allowing Apple to shift its manufacturing overseas and has grown to become one of the biggest firms of its kind in the process.

富士康是苹果的主要代工厂，负责生产iPhone及其他设备。与台积电类似，富士康在帮助苹果将制造业务转移至海外方面发挥了重要作用，并因此成长为业内最大的公司之一。

Chang and Williams had dinner in Taiwan after Gou's introduction. Chang reveals that in 2011, the Apple COO informed him that the firm was interested in working with Intel as a chip contract manufacturer. This led to a two-week suspension in negotiations between TSMC and Apple for the same orders, and it also led Chang to visit the US to meet with Cook.

在郭台铭的引荐下，张忠谋与威廉姆斯在台湾共进晚餐。张忠谋透露，2011年，这位苹果首席运营官告诉他，苹果公司有意与英特尔合作，让其作为芯片代工厂。这一消息导致台积电与苹果就相同订单的谈判中断了两周，也促使张忠谋前往美国与库克会面。

According to TSMC's founder, he and Cook had dinner at Apple's headquarters, where Cook assured him there was nothing to worry about. He shares that while the Apple CEO did not divulge details about Intel's costs or yields, he did comment that Intel was not a good original equipment manufacturer.

根据这位台积电创始人的描述，他和库克在苹果总部共进晚餐，期间库克向他保证不必担心。张忠谋分享道，尽管库克没有透露英特尔的成本或良率的具体信息，但他确实评价了英特尔，认为英特尔不是一家好的原始设备制造商（OEM）。