After being cut out of iPhone 5 & 5s, Samsung allegedly supplying Apple DRAM again for 'iPhone 6'
Key component partner and fierce rival Samsung has reportedly wedged its way back into Apple's supply chain for the next iPhone, as the South Korean company will allegedly be one of three companies supplying dynamic random-access memory for the "iPhone 6."
Samsung was actually cut out of Apple's DRAM business starting with the iPhone 5 and carrying over to the iPhone 5s, according to analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company. But for the "iPhone 6," Samsung has been reportedly brought back into the fold, he said in a note to investors on Monday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider.
Other DRAM suppliers for Apple's next-generation iPhone are said to be Micron and Elpida. DRAM is the system memory included inside the A-series processors that power Apple's iPhone and iPad, which has remained at 1 gigabyte for the A6 chip found in the iPhone 5, as well as the A7 processor that powers the iPhone 5s.
Exactly how much DRAM will be included in the anticipated "A8" processor expected to power Apple's "iPhone 6" remains unknown. Additional RAM would allow applications to run in the background longer, or for the Safari browser to keep open websites cached without a need to reload, but more system RAM also results in faster battery drain to keep the memory powered.
According to Acuri, Apple is expected to take up so much of the overall market supply of DRAM this fall that general prices will actually increase sequentially between 3 and 5 percent in September.
Though Samsung is a heated rival with Apple, the company is also a key supplier of parts for the company's hot selling iPhone models. Most notably, all of Apple's custom A-series chips to date have been built at Samsung's silicon fabrication operations based out of Austin, Tex.
Samsung was found to have supplied DRAM for at least some of the first batch of A6 chips that powered the iPhone 5 in 2012. But Apple was said at the time to have quickly dropped the South Korean company, as Apple filled the void with suppliers Toshiba, Elpida Memory, and SK Hynix.
As for last year's A7 processor, initial teardowns of both the iPhone 5s and iPad Air discovered that the onboard DRAM was supplied by Elpida.
Samsung was actually cut out of Apple's DRAM business starting with the iPhone 5 and carrying over to the iPhone 5s, according to analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company. But for the "iPhone 6," Samsung has been reportedly brought back into the fold, he said in a note to investors on Monday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider.
Other DRAM suppliers for Apple's next-generation iPhone are said to be Micron and Elpida. DRAM is the system memory included inside the A-series processors that power Apple's iPhone and iPad, which has remained at 1 gigabyte for the A6 chip found in the iPhone 5, as well as the A7 processor that powers the iPhone 5s.
Exactly how much DRAM will be included in the anticipated "A8" processor expected to power Apple's "iPhone 6" remains unknown. Additional RAM would allow applications to run in the background longer, or for the Safari browser to keep open websites cached without a need to reload, but more system RAM also results in faster battery drain to keep the memory powered.
According to Acuri, Apple is expected to take up so much of the overall market supply of DRAM this fall that general prices will actually increase sequentially between 3 and 5 percent in September.
Though Samsung is a heated rival with Apple, the company is also a key supplier of parts for the company's hot selling iPhone models. Most notably, all of Apple's custom A-series chips to date have been built at Samsung's silicon fabrication operations based out of Austin, Tex.
Samsung was found to have supplied DRAM for at least some of the first batch of A6 chips that powered the iPhone 5 in 2012. But Apple was said at the time to have quickly dropped the South Korean company, as Apple filled the void with suppliers Toshiba, Elpida Memory, and SK Hynix.
As for last year's A7 processor, initial teardowns of both the iPhone 5s and iPad Air discovered that the onboard DRAM was supplied by Elpida.
Comments
I hope they move the ram to 2g, I am seeing glitches in some games that according to support forums are caused by ram. Note that I am having this problem on my ipad mini retina, not on an iphone.
The same scum company that will be bashing the iPhone 6. Let's hope not!
I hope they move the ram to 2g, I am seeing glitches in some games that according to support forums are caused by ram. Note that I am having this problem on my ipad mini retina, not on an iphone.
As much as I agree and would also like to see 2gigs of ram, if a game isn't performing correctly on the latest hardware, the game wasn't designed very well. If it isn't performing correctly due to hardware constraints, the game should of been designed differently, coded differnetly, or held off until better hardware is released.
Apple probably got a super cheap deal from Samdung.
Samdung is extremely desperate for $
With the larger iphone6 the truth is Samdung is no longer a threat to Apple
Well, Folks, there it is!!!
This post definitely proves there'll be a 5.5" iPhone!
Only a daft donkey'd doubt or deny it now!
Please No!!
The same scum company that will be bashing the iPhone 6. Let's hope not!
It isn't technically the same company. Samsung Group is composed of a large number of divisions and affiliates. Samsung Telecommunications, a business unit within Samsung Electronics, is the group that makes mobile devices and PCs. There are business units within Samsung electronics that make flash memory and semi-conductors. Historically, these business units have operated with different goals with some bent on destroying Apple while others see Apple as a needed income stream. Samsung Telecommunications is the worst one. If you look at the entire Samsung Group, the largest business conglomerate in South Korea, I would say they practically own South Korea, which allows them to do anything they want to do in that country. The problem I see is their increased influence in the US, something that worries me more than just the garbage products they produce.
Do not believe it, Micron/Elpdia are still Apple Mobile DRAM suppliers, and pricing is going not becuase apple is using more, but because Memory Fabs are allocation more capacity to NAND and such over traditional DRAM, so only a small portion of chip out put is DRAM and all the PC guys are Consumer electronic guys are fighting over it driving pricing up.
I hope they move the ram to 2g, I am seeing glitches in some games that according to support forums are caused by ram. Note that I am having this problem on my ipad mini retina, not on an iphone.
If some game developers are blaming the amount of RAM on their glitches, they are probably hiding some serious coding errors. There are probably 100 million current gen iPhones out there right now and some developers have the nerve to release a game that is glitchy and will continue to be glitchy on all of those devices? How can they blame that on Apple? It's not like iPhone is now giving them less RAM than they used to have.
Naturally, Apple has a $1B credit line with Samsung!
Here's a ridiculous use of it, that is unless they're being deceptive.
http://www.amazon.com/Android-DX752-Tablet-Capacitive-Multi-Touch/dp/B00JZKLGW2
Here's a ridiculous use of it, that is unless they're being deceptive.
http://www.amazon.com/Android-DX752-Tablet-Capacitive-Multi-Touch/dp/B00JZKLGW2
I wouldn't believe it. Another of that company's products is advertised on Amazon as using DDR8!
Apple is no doubt their biggest customer and should help burn the whole company to the ground.
So what? More reason for Apple to bury this scum company. When the S3 was out you all were hoping Apple would stop buying parts from samdung now you all have gone soft? I don't think so.
ok this makes sense.
I have to agree. The Sony PS3 only has only 256MB of system RAM, yet game developers can still put out modern games.
Apple probably got a super cheap deal from Samdung.
Samdung is extremely desperate for $
With the larger iphone6 the truth is Samdung is no longer a threat to Apple
Yes I'm sure Samsung bid low to get back into being an Apple supplier.
At least they can't copy iOS before it's loaded !
They had all of 2013 to out-innovate Apple and they failed horriblely.
And 2/3 of 2014 as well.