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Apple Cutting Back on Memory Chip Orders from Samsung

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Apr 12, 2001
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Reuters reports that Apple has been cutting back on memory chips orders from Samsung for its mobile devices, seeking to diversify its component supplier list by increasing orders from Toshiba, Elpida, and Micron. The move is said to be a long-term one not specifically tied to the recent court battles between Apple and Samsung.
Apple has been cutting its orders from Samsung as it tries to diversify its lines of supply for memory chips, although the South Korean firm remains on the list of initial suppliers for the new iPhone, the source told Reuters. The person declined to be named because the negotiations are confidential.

The Korea Economic Daily, citing an unnamed industry source, reported on Friday that Apple had dropped Samsung from the list of memory chip suppliers for the first batch of the new iPhone, whose release is widely expected to be announced on September 12.
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Digitimes reported nearly identical news almost a year ago, supporting the notion that the move is part of a comprehensive strategy for Apple.

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Late last month following the $1 billion verdict against Samsung in a U.S. court case addressing Apple's claims that Samsung had infringed upon its patents and copied its designs, Reuters noted that Samsung was working hard to compartmentalize the dispute by keeping the firm's CEO somewhat out of the loop in order to keep the dispute from spilling over and affecting Samsung's role as a component supplier for Apple and other companies.

Article Link: Apple Cutting Back on Memory Chip Orders from Samsung
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/06/apple-cutting-back-on-memory-chip-orders-from-samsung/
Memory is very much a commodity market. Lots of choices to easily diversify. The same is not the case for fab capacity, so they can't turn to TSMC quickly, even if they want to.
 
Hoping we get a 128GB model this time around. Or at least make the entry phone have 32GB.
 
Need moar Megatron! erm... Pegatron!


(I understand that Pegatron is just one of the companies that assembles these items.)
 
Apple is good at seeing a few steps ahead, and this is a pretty obvious decision anyway.
 
Sayonara Samsung

How can Apple not be working to remove Samsung from its supply chain?

Even putting aside the animosity from the lawsuits, I'm sure that Apple knows that there are leaks between the Samsung components and smartphone divisions. Having Samsung as a supplier give the smartphone division insight into what Apple is coming up with next.

Memory chips now, processors soon, displays soon after.

Bye bye Samsung ... so long to your biggest customer and the world's #1 consumer of chips.
 
Good, squeeze out those shady copycat thieving Samesung crooks! Apple gives Samsung the most revenue out of all Sammy's business relationships. Apple can get their screens and parts elsewhere, probably even better than what Sammy supplies. Samsung on the other hand, can't get Apple business from anyone but Apple.

Hit 'em where it hurts.
 
Will be very disappointed if iPhone 5 has 4g with LTE that isn't compatible with Australian 4g AGAIN!
 
ronm99 said:
I'm sure that Apple knows that there are leaks between the Samsung components and smartphone divisions. Having Samsung as a supplier give the smartphone division insight into what Apple is coming up with next.
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How so? Samsung is delivering ICs, that gives them no clue about the design other then what type of memory it uses.

Leaks are always there if you work with 100's of suppliers.
 
So they are going from a supplier that can meet demand and quality on every component it is asked for?

Diversification is good - when you know the quality and supply won't be hindered, sadly this will not be the case.

Heaven knows why they moved to LG for screens. They cannot produce 2 the same let alone make 1000's of things all the same. LG have been a cheap tat company for years.

Guess I answered my own question, they are cheap.
 
troop231 said:
Hoping we get a 128GB model this time around. Or at least make the entry phone have 32GB.
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The entry phone will stay at 8gb (4s tho), if it went to 16gb id be suprised. 32gb? Shocked!

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BlueParadox said:
Completely agree. Why Telstra couldn't install the more compatible 4G network is an absolute bummer! :confused:
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What Telstra installed was a network that is very similar to every single lte network in the world except for North America. It was Apple that decided to just put the American frequencies in the ipad.

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iDanielh said:
Will be very disappointed if iPhone 5 has 4g with LTE that isn't compatible with Australian 4g AGAIN!
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Note to Apple: The world is bigger than the States!
 
Apple has been known to strong arm their suppliers to get what they need and deny supply from competition. Maybe Samsung would actually come out better on this scenario. With Japan still recovering, there is still a large demand for memory chips.
 
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