Hold the chips: Apple axes Samsung RAM order for iPhone 5
Thanks for the memories
Apple has cut down its order of memory chips from Samsung, reducing its reliance on its smartphone rival for components, say supply chain sources cited by Reuters.
The iPhone 5, widely expected to be announced next week, will feature fewer Samsung components than its predecessors, say the sources.
The newswire speculated that the move could be a signal that Apple is looking to diversify its supply chain or pull back its dealings with arch smartphone-rivals.
Samsung manufactures the A5 and A5X processors at the heart of the iPhone 4S and iPads 2 and 3, but the RAM layer in the chip package will no longer be from Samsung, and the NAND flash memory used in iPad, iPhone and iPod will be from elsewhere too.
Instead Apple has increased orders of DRAM chips and NAND flash memory from SK Hynix, Toshiba and Elpida Memory – which are all existing contractors.
We already knew that the new iPhone 5 will feature fewer Samsung components, with the screen manufactured by Sharp and LG for the first time, but this means that the memory will come from elsewhere too. Samsung is still expected to make the main processor for the phone.
Samsung is the biggest manufacturer of memory chips in the world - recently investing £4bn in its chip-making plant in Austin, Texas, where the A5 chips are made.
It will be a welcome move for Toshiba at least. In July, the world's second biggest NAND chip-maker announced a 30 per cut in flash memory chip production, pinned at the time on market oversupply and declining prices.
In April this year, Apple reported that it was committed to £11bn in parts and component expenditure. ®
COMMENTS
Samsung should stop selling Apple the CPUs too and tell them to go and fuck themselves.
Kneejerk...
... or "Jerk", for short.
The Apple A5 and A5X are systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Samsung under contract to Apple.
If Samsung do speak as eloquently as you - unlikely, since they're grown ups - then they cannot sell on any "surplus" A5 or A5X cpus:- all they have to show for it is a whole lot of over capacity.
Whether you like it or not, that's how it is.
No doubt there will be hordes of downvotes from those whose comprehension of such matters is sadly lacking, and whose maturity is year to progress beyond pre-adolescence...
Re: Tumbleweed Moment
'So before the iPhone came out, mobiles were already heading the smartphone/touch interface way ?'
Yes they were, go and educate yourself with a bit of history instead of relying on what Apples marketing drones tell you.
Comments on every Apple or Samsung story.....
WHARRGARBL I HATE APPLE AND AM ANGRY AS HELL FOR SOME REASON
or
WHARRGARBL I HATE ANDROID/SAMSUND AND AM ANGRY AS HELL FOR SOME REASON
Delete as applicable
Ahem
A4 and A5 are Apple-designed ARM derivatives, which Samsung are just sub-contractors for manufacture.
But don't let that get in the way of a good rant, eh?
