According to semiconductor industry sources, Samsung Electronics has won an Italian semiconductor contract manufacturing order to produce the MCU, for Apple's next-generation iPhone using the 16nm process. This is the first time that STMicroelectronics has outsourced the MCU production of major customers such as Apple.

According to Korean media reports, in the case of global supply shortage, MCU is manufactured by 16nm manufacturing process, which means that its specification will be smaller and its power density will be higher than that of traditional MCU. Samsung declined to confirm whether it received the order, the value of the order and other details are not clear.

The contract orders sparked expectations that Samsung is expanding its influence in TSMC's dominant contract market, which controls 70 per cent of MCU outsourced production, the report said. Both companies are the two largest contract factories in the world.

Late last month, Samsung officially announced plans to build a $17 billion chip manufacturing plant in Taylor, Texas, as part of a plan to surpass TSMC.