“Samsung Electronics agreed with Apple to produce application processors (APs) from next year for iPhones and iPads, sources said Monday,” Kim Yoo-chul reports for The Korea Times.
“The agreement means Samsung will become a primary supplier of APs to Apple, pushing its chief Taiwanese rival TSMC back to second place,” Kim reports. “From 2016, the company will supply 80 percent of APs used in Apple devices, and TSMC the remainder.”
“AP chips function as the brain in computing devices. Apple will design its A-series APs, and Samsung will fabricate them in partnership with GlobalFoundries (GF), a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Santa Clara, California,” Kim reports. “‘Apple has designated Samsung as the primary supplier of its next A-series chips powering iOS devices from 2016 as the alliance with GlobalFoundries (GF) enabled Samsung to cut off capacity risk,” a source familiar with the deal said. The value of the deal is said to be worth ‘billions of dollars,’ according to the sources.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Tim Cook to the Samsung thieves: “I wish I knew how to quit you.”
Related article:
Bernstein: Why Apple Will Leave TSMC Next Year – August 4, 2014
Wow. Say it ain’t so!
Please consider the source: “The Korea Times”
I think we should wait for confirmation.
+1 Agreed.
Here is the thing: Apple’s chip requirements are so huge that there are only a few companies in the world who can meet them. Intel could, but refuses to provide foundry services to Apple (and everyone else). Samsung – regrettably – is the only other chip maker (and even they needed to partner with Global Foundries on this deal) with the ability to meet both the quality and quantity requirements.
Not only that…I’m sure Apple now sees Samsung phones as vanquished foe…so they can keep them close.
Principles be damned! It’s just business.
The lawsuits served a purpose and Samsung blinked, but I’m glad it’s over. Let the products talk instead.
Without knowing the details of the deal, I would imagine that Apple’s leadership did not waste any opportunities to pad their bottom line. With all the hits to Samsung’s business resulting from iDevice proliferation, they’re hemorrhaging dollars and NEED Apple’s business to maintain some semblance of profitability. I can only assume that Apple swept in like a righteous vulture and dictated terms that favor Apple. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple negotiated rock bottom pricing that Samsung would have been averse to this time last year. This is a victory for Apple: maintain relationships with the best chip fabricator rather than having to source new manufacturers, with the best possible pricing for Apple. Double whammy for Samsung, they take a hit on manufacturing for their chief rival, who uses their own chips to kick Samsung’s ass even further down the rabbit hole.
I agree. If true, this has to be only reason for a supposed long term deal. Otherwise they’d just keep playing Samsung and TSMC off each other year by year.
At this point, Samsung is hardly even a competitor. Apple has won the high margin smartphone war. Might as well lock in some cheap chips to keep those margins high.
After seeing the GTA terms of agreement, I can’t imagine Samsung got the better end of the deal, especially after Apple has schooled them.
I’m not sure that Samdung hasn’t blinked. Seems they are acting a lot less cocky than they were. They have taken big spoon fulls of humility over the last 4 months as their financial forecasts continue to get weaker and weaker, and their new product offerings have to be discounted almost immediately to garner any attention at all.
It’s important to all Asians to ‘save face’ and I’m would not be at all surprised in Samdung didn’t come to Apple with an olive branch in each hand.
I wonder if Apple is using Samsung backhoes for the new campus as well.
Bizarre!
Hope not !
Does Intel do custom fabrication for anyone? I would think that they would be a more trustworthy partner.
Really? Struggled for years to try to match the Arm designs and failed abysmally, I really don’t think anyone should help them do so or it just might give the PC brigade that leg up which might keep them relavent in the tablet and lightweight laptop market. Would be the only way back for Microsoft too riding on any available coat tails.
Apple does the designing, Intel would just manufacture the chips, same as Samsung.
The PC brigade doesn’t need that leg up, they already have access to same chips Apple does. They can easily make light weight laptops if they’re willing to spend the same amount of money on high quality components that Apple does. The reason they don’t is that they’re too busy trying to undercut each other’s prices to spend money on high quality components. On the rare occasion they do, Windows users rarely pay for that kind of quality, they’re conditioned to buy on price.
Apple users don’t mind paying for quality, it’s part of the Apple users mindset, conversely Windows users do mind paying for quality and that’s part of their mindset. Either way you get what you pay for.
even Vanna White knew how to quit Samsung:
Vanna White sued the Samsung Electronics corporation over its use of a humorous ad featuring a robot turning letters on a game show. The lower court decision in Samsung’s favor was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., 971 F.2d 1395 (1992), and the Ninth Circuit denied a rehearing over a colorful dissent by Judge Kozinski. White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. 989 F.2d 1512 (9th Cir. 1993). The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. v. White, 508 U.S. 951 (1993). White ultimately was awarded $403,000 in damages.
…Vanna gave Slungdung a vowel movement.
Come on people, you know they made Samsung crawl for this deal.
Or, there just ain’t nobody but Assmung capable of cranking out the necessary volume. That’s what I’m thinking.
Even if Samsung slithered on its belly to get this deal, I wouldn’t have done it. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Thank god you don’t run Apple. To produce its iOS devices, Apple uses hundreds of millions of A-series chips each year. The number of companies that can do 14nm fab and produce anywhere near that number of chips is VERY SMALL: Basically, it is Samsung (with help from Global Foundries) and Intel. Since Intel won’t do contract fab, that leaves Apple with Samsung. But of course, lovekamp, you are clueless about these realities (and a zillion others) in global chip sourcing, so I guess you would prefer that Apple simply not make so many iPhones and iPads.
Yes, I am clueless: I have no understanding of corporate agreements and intellectual property theft by a company convicted of doing so (with no penalties, and apparently vast rewards). I will defer to your vast wealth of such information.
I am not a billionaire (perhaps you are or want to be). I prefer to be a human with principles and scruples which I will always put above money. I do not deal with vermin, regardless of whether I would make a higher profit. I leave those who are worthless to barter with others who are worthless. As such, I suspect I will not be dealing anytime soon with you, Ralph.
So, for the sake of pride, you would go exclusively with TMC and take an 80% cut in your sales volume and revenue? Glad you’re not running any company I have stock in.
Know what would be funny? Trying to imagine a world where Apple was a vendor to Assmung. Heh heh.
Baloney. Bet you Samsung is about to report miserable numbers. The normally make a mid -quarter update.
If it is true, Apple execs are idiots. I doubt they are though.
Really sad to see that there aren’t better companies out there to make Apple’s chips. Really really sad.
I’d personally like to know why the alternatives were not as desirable from Apple’s perspective. Then again, I’ve never approved of Apple gear being assembled, let alone made in China: Criminal Nation.
I hope Apple stops doing business with Samsung.
Samsung has a longer view of history.
They will cooperate now but do as much stealing and damage as they can in the long run…hoping to dominate in the future.
They should never be trusted and should not be used as a parts provider, ever.
Without trust and respect there can not be good business.
IF true, Samsung should be doing this for FREE until they have paid Apple the court order 290 million dollars in fines towards Samsung.