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Sun, February 5, 2023 | 01:46
Tech
Apple relies on Samsung chips despite patent war
<단독> 애플, ‘아이폰5’에 삼성 A6칩 쓴다
Posted : 2011-10-17 16:42
Updated : 2011-10-17 16:42
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By Kim Yoo-chul

Despite a raging patent war, Samsung Electronics and Apple maintain and are expected to maintain their relationship as chip supplier and buyer.

Industry sources say that Apple will continue to use Samsung’s chips and technology for its next smartphone, which may or may not be named the iPhone 5.

``Apple has been in talks with Samsung over shipment of its A6 quad-core mobile processor (AP) chips to be used in the next iPhone. It appears that Apple clearly has concluded that Samsung remains a critical business partner,’’ an executive from an Apple parts supplier based in Korea said on condition of anonymity.

He said that Samsung has been increasing the output of the Apple-designed A6 chips in its manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas.

The plant, opened in 2007, is one of the company’s chief facilities for NAND flash production and is also used for manufacturing system IC circuits and foundry-related businesses.

There had been speculation that Apple would shift its chip sourcing channel to Samsung rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC).

``Samsung Electronics will apply its advanced 28-nanometer processing technology to produce qualified A6 mobile APs. TSMC will provide customized chips with designs from Apple, however, the volume will be very small,’’ said the executive.

Samsung and Apple officials both declined to comment on the issue.

The ongoing chip talks between Samsung and Apple were revealed after Samsung Electronics Chief Executive Choi Gee-sung told reporters that Samsung is handling legal issues involving Apple independently of its business relationship with the company.

He also confirmed its chief operating officer (COO) Lee Jae-yong, son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee and heir apparent to the group’s leadership, flew to the United States, following an invitation from new Apple CEO Tim Cook, to participate in a private memorial service for the late Steve Jobs, Sunday.

Lee will have a separate meeting with Cook over several pending issues, which backs assumptions that Apple still views Samsung as a critical parts supplier.

Samsung said its capability to manufacture customized chips on a foundry or contract basis gives it an advantage that TSMC and other rivals cannot currently match.

``The manufacturing process at TSMC hasn’t been stabilized. Considering Apple’s previous patterns of adopting qualified technologies, Apple isn’t taking risks. Samsung offers better pricing and capacity commitment for the A6 mobile APs,’’ said an official from a different Apple supplier.

Apple will become Samsung’s biggest overseas client by the end of this year, according to industry analysts, after buying over $8 billion worth of components including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and memory chips.

LG's 'Retina Display' still in play

Industry sources believe that the next version of the iPhone will feature a 4-inch LCD screen, 0.5 inch larger than the recently-unveiled iPhone 4GS, and they will continue to be provided by LG Display.

``The iPhone 5 will feature a similar resolution to the iPhone 4, which is 960x640 pixels. It’s very unlikely that Apple will go for organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays considering the problems related to brightness and battery consumption,’’ said another industry executive.

LG Display has been the provider of “Retina Display’’ screens that have been used in Apple’s mobile products. The screen provides a high-level of picture density that makes it hard to see the pixels.

Sohn Young-june, a chief spokesman at LG Display’s public relations office, declined to confirm whether LG has been working with Apple to supply high-resolution LCD panels.

Apple was providing up to 15 percent of LG Display’s total revenue by the end of the first quarter of this year, according to local market analysts.

``With a bigger screen, the surface design of the iPhone 5 will be changed. The iPhone 5 and iPad 3 will be launched within the first quarter of next year,’’ said the executive.

``With Apple using quad-core mobile APs in the next iPhone, South Korean handset majors including Samsung, LG and Pantech are expected to adopt the same technology for their new smartphone models to offer a faster processing speed.’’

Last week Apple released its new mobile operating system, iOS 5, now available for download from Apple’s servers via the latest version of iTunes.

<단독> 애플, ‘아이폰5’에 삼성 A6칩 쓴다
애플이 내년 초 내놓을 차기작인 `아이폰5’에 삼성전자의 쿼드코어 A6 모바일프로세서 (AP)를 쓰기로 결정했다. AP는 아이폰 및 아이패드에 들어가는 두뇌부분 (모바일 CPU)에 해당하는 핵심 부품. 별도의 생산시설이 없는 애플은 부품 수급처를 다양화해 가격 결정력을 높이는 전략을 쓰고 있다. 삼성전자는 지난 2009년부터 아이폰과 아이패드에 탑재되는 A4와 A5 모바일프로세서를 전량 애플에 독점 공급해왔다. 그러나 애플이 최근 삼성과의 특허분쟁속에 세계 최대 반도체생산 전문 위탁업체인 TSMC에 차세대 프로세서인 A6칩의 생산을 의뢰하면서 삼성전자의 애플향 AP 공급량이 줄어드는 것이 아니냐는 우려가 일었다. 17일 애플의 국내 핵심 납품사의 한 고위 관계자는 ``애플이 내년 초 출시될 아이폰5에 쿼드코어 프로세서 A6칩을 장착하기로 결정하고 삼성전자와 구체적인 물량에 대해 협의하고 있다’’고 밝혔다. 이 관계자는 ``애플이 TSMC를 통해 A6 프로세서의 시험 생산에 들어간 것은 사실이나 TSMC가 만들어내는 A6 칩의 성능과 수율이 기대에 미치지 못해 TSMC 위탁 물량은 극히 소량에 그칠 것’’이라고 덧붙였다. 삼성전자가 가격, 생산량, 수율, 품질 및 재고정책 등에서 타 회사들보다 상당히 앞서있기 때문에 제품 완성도를 고집하는 애플이 전면적인 특허 소송에도 모바일프로세서 공급처를 전면적으로 교체하는 초 강수를 두기에는 위험부담이 많이 따른다는 해석인 셈. 삼성은 애플향 A6 생산에 최신 공정인 27나노 공정을 적용키로 했다. 이 관계자는 그러나 ``정확한 물량 규모는 아직 협상 중이라 결정되지 않았다’’며 ``특허 분쟁에도 삼성은 애플의 가장 믿을만한 최대 부품 공급업체로 남을 것’’이라고 덧붙였다. 이에 대해 노승우 삼성전자 커뮤니케이션팀 과장은 ``고객사와 관련한 것은 확인해 줄 수 없다는 것이 회사의 기본 방침’’이라고 말했다. 애플은 지난해 6조원 이상의 반도체와 LCD를 삼성전자로부터 구입해 일본의 소니에 이어 두 번째 큰 고객사였다. 그러나 올해는 삼성전자로부터 9조원에 육박하는 반도체 및 액정표시장치 (LCD)를 구매해 삼성의 최대 고객사로 부상할 것으로 예상된다. 한편 권오현 삼성전자 디바이스솔루션 (DS) 총괄 사장은 이 날 오후 지식경제부 주최로 서울 신라호텔에서 열린 부품소재 글로벌 동반성장 양해각서 체결식 행사장에서 기자들과 만나 ``애플과 오랫동안 파트너 관계로 지내왔다’’며 ``불이익은 전혀 없다’’고 강조했다. 권 사장은 최근 벌어지고 있는 애플과의 특허 소송으로 부품 공급 계약에 차질이 빚어지고 있지 않느냐는 기자들의 질문에 ``언론에는 (공급량이 줄어든다고)그렇게 회자되고 있는데 전혀 문제가 없다’’고 답했다. 권 사장은 이어 ``오스틴 공장도 현재 풀 가동 중’’이라며 애플의 공급 거래선 다변화 정책으로 애플향 AP생산이 줄어들 수도 있다는 우려를 정면 반박했다. 삼성전자는 미국 텍사스주 오스틴 반도체 공장에 시스템LSI 라인을 구축하고 올해부터 모바일 AP제품을 생산하고 있다. 대부분 애플로 공급되는 것으로 알려져 있다. 한편 아이폰5는 기존 아이폰4와 비슷한 레티나급 (960X640) 해상도를 지원할 것으로 알려졌다. 아이폰5는 4인치 LCD 화면에 외관 디자인도 변경될 것으로 예측된다. 아이폰 시리즈에 `레티나 디스플레이’를 공급해왔던 LG디스플레이가 아이폰5에도 최대 디스플레이 공급 업체로 남을 전망이다. 이에 대해 손영준 LG디스플레이 홍보팀장은 ``애플과의 거래에 대한 구체적인 내용은 확인해 줄 수 없다’’고 말했다.
Emailyckim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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