Apple to Stick with Samsung for A6 Chip Production After All?

[bretm]

After so many iphone and iphone generations I am wondering why Apple doesn't at least make the plug in flexible, i.e. side connections.

I buy the cables 30 at a time and they always break at the connection where the cable goes in.

Also, I have to scratch up the correct side, so it can be felt, because when I am driving or it's dark it is difficult to look which way is the right side up.

Would be so easy to mold a bump or raised logo on that side.

Get over it. The cable is done. It's been designed. It's used in zillions of productions. Backward compatibility is key now. Thunderbolt or magsafe is a bigger connector. The current connector does more than just power of course. If they change connectors, they should have both for a few generations.

----------

My thought is Samsung is not stupid,

They want Apples iPhone and iPad business - money talks

Also the problem is not with Samsung chip division but mobile division.

My guess is also Samsung is having some interesting inter-division talks.

Yeah, they need a fall back plan for sure.

 

[lilo777]

My thought is Samsung is not stupid,

They want Apples iPhone and iPad business - money talks

Also the problem is not with Samsung chip division but mobile division.

My guess is also Samsung is having some interesting inter-division talks.

Both chip and mobile divisions are parts of Samsung Electronics. Apple is not suing "mobile division" (they can't) they are suing Samsung Electronics. And they will get burned by Samsung Electronics.

 

[wovel]

Start the haters complaining about having the same resolution on a bigger screen.

But then again, if Apple increased the resolution too, they'll complain about how developers would have to update their graphics.

What can I say? Haters gonna hate.




If the bigger screen requires a longer and/or wider case, Apple could put in a larger battery. I wonder which component drains the battery the fastest.

That is not hating, it is injecting reality into a fantasy discussion. Anything other than doubling the resolution again is a lot more work for developers. Not increasing the resolution and making the screen bigger does make a worse display, not a better display.

Why would Apple want to make the phone worse? (On Purpose)

----------

Both chip and mobile divisions are parts of Samsung Electronics. Apple is not suing "mobile division" (they can't) they are suing Samsung Electronics. And they will get burned by Samsung Electronics.

Samsung may makes more money from Apple than they do from selling mobile devices. Eventually Samsung electronics may burn their mobile division, they will not burn Apple.

----------

Sounds more to me like Apple is running back to Samsung because the grass wasn't greener.

Not sure why you think they ever left, just because they are diversifying manufacturing it does not mean they ever intended to have Samsung not manufacture the A6. Nothing in this story indicates that TSMC is not also making the A6. It makes sense for Apple to do a generation with both anyway. If Apple is apple to start to increase production from TSMC, all of Samsung's lawsuits will magically settle.

It seems a lot of people here have never been involved in any product manufacturing at all. It is no like picking a different place to change your oil.

 

[dksram]

Who cares? Nobody. Next story.

P.S. The reason everything is outsourced is because of UNIONS. (GREED)
Unions are created from people to lazy to work for themselves and live off your hard earned money.

 

[mex4eric]

Quad core and Samsung

We need the quad core A6 so that Siri can be smarter, or maybe two Siri's can talk to each other, when we are done asking silly questions. We need LTE in the phone so the path between the Siri in the phone can talk to the Siri in the cloud faster. Most of Siri's smarts are in the backend in the cloud.

We don't need a bigger screen, but we might need a bigger case to hold the bigger battery for the quad core chip.

Yes Samsung is bigger. I have had a smart fridge from Samsung for over 5 years - I like the way it is chip controlled for maintaining separate temperatures for fridge and freezer compartments and allows you to set and see the temperatures in exact degrees, not this "warmer" "cooler" nonsense. Even have a Samsung clothes washer, also chip controlled.

Not a slouch company.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Not sure why you think they ever left, just because they are diversifying manufacturing it does not mean they ever intended to have Samsung not manufacture the A6. Nothing in this story indicates that TSMC is not also making the A6. It makes sense for Apple to do a generation with both anyway. If Apple is apple to start to increase production from TSMC, all of Samsung's lawsuits will magically settle.

It seems a lot of people here have never been involved in any product manufacturing at all. It is no like picking a different place to change your oil.

My response was to someone who constantly says that Samsung can't survive without Apple.

 

[lilo777]

Samsung may makes more money from Apple than they do from selling mobile devices. Eventually Samsung electronics may burn their mobile division, they will not burn Apple.

This is absolutely false. Samsung sells Apple RAM, flash memory, LCD panels and CPUs. We do not know much about the CPU deal but the rest of the products, while important, are extremely low margin products. Apple orders comprise only 4% of Samsung revenues and probably 1% of the profits.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

This is absolutely false. Samsung sells Apple RAM, flash memory, LCD panels and CPUs. We do not know much about the CPU deal but the rest of the products, while important, are extremely low margin products. Apple orders comprise only 4% of Samsung revenues and probably 1% of the profits.

Very true considering Samsung makes everything from the Worlds tallest Skyscrapers (Petronas Towers), to Battleships, weapons, car technology, computer technology, medical tech, etc etc etc.

 

[jamisonbaines]

3gs to iphone 4 upped the resolution by a factor of 4

going 3.5 to 3.7 or whatever at the same resolution is lowering it by a tiny percentage.

i get what the tiny thumb blogger is saying but it's garbage.

some tasks: specifically reading (ibooks, rss feeds) on the iPhone screen are frustrating based on the size and the border around the screen itself looks out of date. keep the phone the same size but find a way to put an edge to edge screen in it. the people who love it will far outweigh the bitches who cry about it (the same ones who didn't have any notion of retina resolution before apple coined the term)



and regarding samsung making chips: whatever it takes to get them done. if tsmc is having trouble then okay go with samsung. the lawsuits are necessary to show they won't tolerate outright copying of their ip meanwhile i still stuck samsung hd's (ssd and hdd) in my new mbp because they do what they do affordably and well.

 

[something3153]

Although from their mobile offerings, coulda fooled me.

However, they do much more than mobile, as we all know.

If it weren't for Samsung's R&D, your iDevices would be pretty, but useless, sculptures.

----------

That is not hating, it is injecting reality into a fantasy discussion. Anything other than doubling the resolution again is a lot more work for developers. Not increasing the resolution and making the screen bigger does make a worse display, not a better display.

Why would Apple want to make the phone worse? (On Purpose)

It is very much your opinion that increasing the size of a screen with the same pixel count makes it worse, not a fact. I'd love a 4"+ display at the current resolution. It would look better, to me. The best part is, you can't tell me I'm factually wrong.

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

Can't we all just kiss and make up?

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Can't we all just kiss and make up?

Or just realize that both Samsung and Apple are great companies who are in a competing market.

 

[*LTD*]

Both chip and mobile divisions are parts of Samsung Electronics. Apple is not suing "mobile division" (they can't) they are suing Samsung Electronics. And they will get burned by Samsung Electronics.

Still waiting for the "they will get burned" part. What are Samsung waiting for??

It isn't going to happen anyway because Samsung turning their back on a major customer is nonsensical in the extreme. Things like that just don't happen because a different division has a legal dispute with Apple. Samsung doesn't adopt discriminatory standards like that, and really, why should they. They'd be happy to get into bed with anyone who can make them a good chunk of change. As we have already seen, company culture at Samsung demonstrates they have no scruples when it comes to going after $$$, regardless of IP or anything else. Why should they say no to a Platinum customer like Apple? It would be downright stupid to do so.

Apple, however, can leave the relationship and just switch over to someone else, provided they have the capacity and ability to accommodate them. Until such time, however, Samsung would only be too happy (as would any other supplier) to keep Apple's business.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Can't we all just kiss and make up?

 

[Cole Slaw]

Apple should spend a billion dollars (of it's $70+ billion of cash on hand) and build its own chip plant here in the US, and be done with all of this back and forth.

I'm not sure Apple would do so well at actually manufacturing products. I mean, do they actually make anything any more?

 

[lilo777]

Still waiting for the "they will get burned" part. What are Samsung waiting for??

It isn't going to happen anyway because Samsung turning their back on a major customer is nonsensical in the extreme. Things like that just don't happen because a different division has a legal dispute with Apple. Samsung doesn't adopt discriminatory standards like that, and really, why should they. They'd be happy to get into bed with anyone who can make them a good chunk of change. As we have already seen, company culture at Samsung demonstrates they have no scruples when it comes to going after $$$, regardless of IP or anything else. Why should they say no to a Platinum customer like Apple? It would be downright stupid to do so.

Apple, however, can leave the relationship and just switch over to someone else, provided they have the capacity and ability to accommodate them. Until such time, however, Samsung would only be too happy (as would any other supplier) to keep Apple's business.

How do you know that the late release of iPhone 4S was not caused by "low yield" or some other issues with phone's A5 version? They may "experience" some issues with A6 as well. This would be enough. iPhone 4S was 6 months late compared to Galaxy SII (and it did not even match all SGSII specs). What if for the next generation of phones the gaps grows to 9 or 12 months?

Also, as someone on CNET forum suggested: "Samsung's next move should be the requirement to have a little sticker on the iPhone which says "Samsung Inside"." This would be hilarious.

 

[*LTD*]

How do you know that the late release of iPhone 4S was not caused by "low yield" or some other issues with phone's A5 version?

There is only so far one should push certain assumptions before they sound outlandish.

They may "experience" some issues with A6 as well. This would be enough.

So . . . what are you saying? That Samsung is somehow "sabotaging" iPhone production? They should hope they're not, because that equals plenty of legal hot water. And quite frankly, it makes no sense to think they aren't living up to their contractual obligations to Apple, especially when Apple is a major customer.

iPhone 4S was 6 months late compared to Galaxy SII (and it did not even match all SGSII specs). What if for the next generation of phones the gaps grows to 9 or 12 months?

Now you're way out in Conspiracy Land.

Also, as someone on CNET forum suggested: "Samsung's next move should be the requirement to have a little sticker on the iPhone which says "Samsung Inside"." This would be hilarious.

It would also be very unlikely. And a pretty silly "requirement" in any case, especially at this juncture.

 

[unlinked]

Who cares? Nobody. Next story.

P.S. The reason everything is outsourced is because of UNIONS. (GREED)
Unions are created from people to lazy to work for themselves and live off your hard earned money.

I guess greed is only good for rich people.

 

[apolloa]

I do hope this is a true story. Samsung know what they are doing and have fantastic results making the A5, if the companies are happy to work together then great things will come from the A6.

 

[skunk]

Unions are created from people to lazy to work for themselves and live off your hard earned money.

I wish I had your insight.

 

[sennekuyl]

When will people let the "bigger screen" rumor die? There's a reason why it is the size it is and it shouldn't change—this is why. It's not a tablet and bigger isn't always better.

Yes, except my average sized hands the thumb is extended past the screen without stretching. I also tend to use the phone holding it in one hand and pointing with the other. :shrug: Some people find it more comfortable, others find it too small and yet others are more interested in battery life. The latter is my preference so the 3.5 screen seems good enough.

 

[lilo777]

There is only so far one should push certain assumptions before they sound outlandish.

Do you have a better one? Do you think Apple spent all this time redesigning iPhone's case? Or screen?

 

[*LTD*]

Do you have a better one? Do you think Apple spent all this time redesigning iPhone's case? Or screen?

Any other explanation is certainly better than to assume Samsung is sabotaging the production of a major customers' product out of spite. LOL

The fact that there is no readily available explanation does not mean it's sensible to adopt a plainly ridiculous one.

This is what Apple means to Samsung The Supplier:

http://www.unwiredview.com/2011/02/...omer-will-spend-7-8-billion-on-parts-in-2011/

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...aliation_against_its_5_7b_customer_apple.html

Apple was Samsung's second-largest client last year with close to $5.7 billion in orders.

Apple Now Samsung’s Largest Customer, Will Spend $7.8 Billion on Parts in 2011

 

[wizard]

I doubt you are correct. I expect that eventually we will have 2 form factors.

Many people have small hands. Women tend to have smaller hands too. I doubt they'd make a phone with a larger screen.

You wouldn't expect Apple to make just one size of laptops would you? Same thing with Ford and their pickups, different strokes for different folks.

 

[thewitt]

If I were Apple, I would definitely be qualifying a second source for the A6 and beyond, however they do single source many of their ICs