Remember all the talk about Apple’s $7.8 billion deal with Samsung to supply components for the iPhone and iPad? One of the concerns was that Samsung also produces the Galaxy S smartphone and Galaxy Tab tablet. We may now be seeing the rethinking of that marriage of convenience. Samsung reportedly is being passed-over for a Taiwan-based chipmaker to supply Apple’s iPad 2, as well as a rumored iPhone 5.
The Cupertino, Calif. tech giant is said to have signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce the dual-core A5 chip, which will build upon the previous A4 chip produced by Samsung and part of the original iPad. Samsung also is expected to update its Android-based Galaxy products.
Along with removing the potential for market conflicts, the rumored move to TSMC may have also been prompted by the firm’s lead in producing 40 nanometer processors. If the deal is announced, Samsung’s future relationship with Apple is unclear.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
9 responses to “Did Apple ByPass Samsung for the iPad 2’s A5 Chip?”
Considering Samsung basically stole the design of the A4, this is a good move. I would still like to see Apple reopen their own manufacturing plants in America so it can be “Designed and made in U.S.A.”
Me too! I remember when my earlier Macs were designed and MADE in California.
The notion that Samsung stole the design of the A4 for their Hummingbird processor is completely untrue. Both processors are based on a nearly stock implementation of the Arm Cortex-A8 design that was done by a company called Intrinsity. Samsung worked on the design with Intrinsity BEFORE that company was purchased by Apple.
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Considering Samsung basically stole the design of the A4, this is a good move.
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Get your facts straight dude. Like Zuhkov commented Samsuck was working on their stock ARM Cortex based Hummingbird processor long before Apple gobbled up Intrinsity. Contrary to popular belief Apple doesn’t always lead the way when it comes to development. There are many other companies out there working behind the scenes that do their own thing and do it very well. Apple saw Intrinsity for what they were, an innovator, and added them to their core mobile hardware development structure. Good move on their part.
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I would still like to see Apple reopen their own manufacturing plants in America so it can be “Designed and made in U.S.A
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Dream on Apple is all about squeezing the maximum amount of money from a product just like every other tech company out there. The old Apple of the 70’s is dead and its been replaced by the faceless and greedy modern business philosophy. Considering Apple can trim their manufacturing costs to almost nothing by contracting out to Foxxconn who in turns enforces 16 hour days and shit wages/benefits on its employees those jobs aren’t coming back to the USA any time soon. Unlike China the USA/Canada/most of Europe are democracies with labor laws in place (as well as unions) designed to help guard worker rights.
P.S.
On a side note. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that the carrion feeding maggots who are trying to remove the labor rights of workers in Wisconsin fall flat on their faces.
Diner
I think Apple iPad 2 is best of all tablet series. Also it’s feature so good. Although it will be depend on users.
http://fms.nu/eKCPpp
Many branded devise are in market but at last I want to say check them by their feature.