According to a report in The Electronic Times (via 9to5Mac), the Cupertino firm wants TSMC to be the sole provider of the A10 chipset for the iPhone 7.
The Taiwanese iOS chip maker has previously provided processors for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, the new Apple TV, and the latest iPads.
But Samsung has supplied the chipsets for virtually every other iOS device since the original iPhone, including the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
The move is sure to come as a blow to the South Korean company, which is struggling to meet targets in its own mobile division.