Apple is turning to Samsung to resolve some of the yield issues it is having with its NAND flash storage chips for the upcoming iPhone, claims a new report.
Existing suppliers SK Hynix and Toshiba have reportedly both experienced lower-than-expected yield rates for the next-gen iPhone chips. As a result, the overall supply of NAND flash chips bound for Cupertino has fallen short of demand by as much as 30 percent.
To help sort out the issue, Apple has reportedly turned to Samsung to supply NAND chips, since Samsung has stable yield rates for its 3D NAND technology, and has also scaled up its output of 3D NAND chips.
Apple switched to 3D NAND chips with the iPhone 7, but the technology is still new enough that suppliers have had issues with it. For the iPhone 8, Apple is reportedly planning to use 64-layer NAND chips, which means packing more data storage onto the chips, compared with the 48-layer NAND chips used in the iPhone 7.
Production problems?
When it comes to building the 2017-era iPhones, Apple has allegedly run into a number of problems. Recently, the iPhone 8 reportedly ran into problems based on the yield rate for its OLED panels. Other issues have concerned roadblocks relating to the handsets’ wireless charging and printed circuit boards.
Of course, every year there are stories about possible iPhone delays — and Apple inevitably winds up shipping on time. What is different about this year, however, seems to be that Apple is once again leaning more heavily on Samsung after shying away from it at the height of the two companies’ legal drama.
Want more info about the upcoming iPhone? Read this: Everything we think we know about the iPhone 8.
Source: Digitimes
