Micron Completes $2 Billion Purchase of Primary Apple Memory Supplier Elpida

[MacRumors]

Semiconductor manufacturer Micron Technology has completed its $2 billion purchase of Elpida, a Japanese manufacturer of memory chips and primary chip supplier to Apple. The company's memory chips are currently used in the iPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPad and are also found in other devices such as Google's current generation Nexus 7. Elpida DRAM was also spotted in an iPhone 5S prototype leaked in June.

Using its advanced technologies, Elpida has built a strong presence in Mobile DRAM, targeting mobile phones and tablets. Micron is a leader in delivering enterprise DRAM solutions for networking and servers as well as offering a wide product portfolio in NAND flash memory and NOR. Combining the two complementary product portfolios will further strengthen Micron's position in the memory market and enable it to provide customers with an even more complete set of high-quality solutions.

Last year, Apple announced that it was cutting back on memory chip orders from Samsung in order to diversify its client list, and increased orders from manufacturers such as Toshiba, Elpida, and Micron to use in its mobile devices. With DRAM and NAND being relative commodities in the technology market, Apple sources its memory needs from a variety of companies, frequently shifting its orders based on pricing and capacity.

Article Link: Micron Completes $2 Billion Purchase of Primary Apple Memory Supplier Elpida

 

[daneoni]

Big move against Samsung.

 

[Georgij]

It seems that Apple designs some of it's components with Anobit (fabless designer of flash memory controllers) and their intern engineers and orders them from companies like Micron.

 

[Klae17]

$2 billion? That's pocket change for Apple. Although they don't have the expertise to manufacture their own chips, they can easily buy their way into the industry.

 

[iPadPublisher]

Micron is a good company, I wish they were more active with Apple.

 

[Jett0516]

I haven't heard of micron since grade school.

 

[macs4nw]

APPLE is constantly on the prowl to 'plug the gaps' in their expertise portfolio. There is method to their madness.

 

[ArchAndroid]

I haven't heard of micron since grade school.

'Micron' is the name they use for business oriented products; they use the 'Crucial' appellation for their consumer grade products.

 

[Frost7]

Micron is a good company, I wish they were more active with Apple.

I agree. Good company with good products and outstanding customer service both for the end user and business. I don't mind them supplying Apple at all.

 

[asthamapheo]

good move apple, that day is not far away when apple will be making all the chips for it's products in their own processor factories.