Apple’s (AAPL) huge success in the mobile space has benefitted Samsung (005930) in a number of ways. For one thing, it gave Samsung a step-by-step guide on how to improve its own smartphones, as revealed by an internal document used as evidence in a recent patent trial. It also made Apple the South Korea-based company’s biggest parts customer. Samsung had previously been estimated to pull in $13 billion in revenue next year through its various parts deals with Apple, but the companies’ ongoing patent fights have seemingly taken a toll.
Reports that Apple is shifting its component contracts away from Samsung continue to trickle out. Most recently, Apple is said to have moved from Samsung to Amperex Technology and Tianjin Lishen Battery for its iPad and MacBook batteries. Now, according to a new report, Apple is about to hand Samsung its biggest blow yet.
Apple will soon shift its CPU orders away from Samsung to the world’s No.1 chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Digitimes’ unnamed sources claim. With a need for some 200 million mobile processors each year for its various iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, such a shift would be devastating for Samsung.
Digitimes reports that Apple may make the switch from Samsung to TSMC as soon as next year.
