Rumor: Apple poaching Samsung experts in chips, batteries, more

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited February 2015
With its latest recruiting efforts, Apple is allegedly targeting "experts in next-generation technology" from rival Samsung, offering raises and competitive benefits to lure talent to California.




Specifically Apple is said to be hiring experts in chip design, as well as batteries, according to the Korea Times. Citing an unnamed Samsung official, it was said that the workers were offered "greater independence" in new roles at Apple, in addition to higher pay.

Apple's apparent interest in battery experts could be tied to recent rumors that the company is working on an electric car that it could release years down the road. The iPhone maker has been confirmed to have hired other battery experts from A123 Systems, thanks to a lawsuit that has accused Apple of unfairly poaching that company's employees.

The Samsung official quoted in Monday's report suggested that many of the company's employees already speak English, so there would be no language barriers to them working in America. The report was first highlighted by G for Games.

Samsung and Apple are fierce rivals, but the two also partner closely on a number of components that power Apple's most popular devices. It's rumored that Samsung will build the 14-nanometer "A9" chips expected to power Apple's 2015 iPhone and iPad refreshes.

Prior to the launch of the iPhone 6, Samsung manufactured all of Apple's low-power ARM processors at its factory in Austin. But starting with the A8 CPU in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, TSMC was said to have taken over the bulk of responsibility, though exactly how much is in doubt.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    badmonkbadmonk Posts: 1,285member
    Sounds like this English-speaking independence-wanting Samsung employee wants a pay raise.
  • Reply 2 of 51
    fracfrac Posts: 480member
    Can someone please explain how recruitment via incentives is considered illegal and worthy of a lawsuit.
    I object to 'poaching' with its connotations of underhand behaviour.
  • Reply 3 of 51
    I still think the bulk of these hires are for Watch 2.0 and on at this point.

    And engineers being engineers, I'm sure a lot of these chip designers are intrigued about how an upstart company has so quickly trounced every other ARM chip maker.

    Just hope none of these guys intend to phone home once they're hired.
  • Reply 4 of 51
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member

    It will be very interesting to see what Samsung's 14nm 64bit 7 Octa Exynos 7420 SOC is like next week when they release the S6.  The preliminary benchmarks seem to indicate quite impressive multi-core performance.

     

    Apple might want to leave Samsung with enough engineers to allow them to make the A9.

  • Reply 5 of 51
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member

    Just hope none of these guys intend to phone home once they're hired.

    There's this danger for sure. Some Korean engineers could be too patriotic. Beside, taking a paycheck from BOTH Apple and Samsung would be the best.
  • Reply 6 of 51
    Just hope none of these guys intend to phone home once they're hired.

    But will that matter? They were given the order to manufacturer the first 64-bit mobile chip, they delivered...for Apple but apparently don't understand 1-bit on how to copy it.

    Samsung. The Xerox company that don't even seem to be able to copy anymore.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member

    I think it makes a great deal of sense that Apple is bringing people from Korea to California, as opposed to just bringing them to an Apple office in Korea. 

     

    I strongly suspect that Samsung employs a lot of people that Apple would not want to hire, but from the outside it's not always clear who is who. Those not interested in moving to CA are more likely to be the kinds of people Apple doesn't want to hire in the first place (that is, people who are interested in moving to the US are more likely flexible, adventurous people). So this is a nice self-selection mechanism. 

  • Reply 8 of 51
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blastdoor View Post

     

    I think it makes a great deal of sense that Apple is bringing people from Korea to California, as opposed to just bringing them to an Apple office in Korea. 

     

    I strongly suspect that Samsung employs a lot of people that Apple would not want to hire, but from the outside it's not always clear who is who. Those not interested in moving to CA are more likely to be the kinds of people Apple doesn't want to hire in the first place (that is, people who are interested in moving to the US are more likely flexible, adventurous people). So this is a nice self-selection mechanism. 


    Might be that most of the hiring is out of Samsung's Austin, TX fab.

     

    Edit: Nix that if most of them are coming from Samsung battery tech/manufacturing.

  • Reply 9 of 51
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Frac View Post



    Can someone please explain how recruitment via incentives is considered illegal and worthy of a lawsuit.

    I object to 'poaching' with its connotations of underhand behaviour.



    AppleInsider is using the word "poaching" because it is much more inflammatory than "recruiting." 

     

    Poaching is taking something illegally, but recruitment simply is not the case in California which is an at-will employment state.

     

    The concepts of accuracy and integrity are long gone from the media. True journalism died in the Nineties.

  • Reply 10 of 51
    Oh come on. Apple poaching Samsung employees. At least create a rumour that could be true.
  • Reply 11 of 51
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    I resent the implication that my preferred method for cooking eggs is either underhand or illegal.
  • Reply 12 of 51
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Oh come on. Apple poaching Samsung employees. At least create a rumour that could be true.

    Poaching makes for a very tasty Samsung employee! ????????????

    On a more serious note this may very well be true if Apple was in the process of setting up its own fab. It is hard to imagine another need for a Samsung employee.
  • Reply 13 of 51
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

    Poach away BIG A.

    Poach away.


     

    I just hope these people aren't in the bad habit of COPYING like their last company!!!   Innovate, not just just flat out COPY!!!

  • Reply 14 of 51
    fracfrac Posts: 480member
    crowley wrote: »
    I resent the implication that my preferred method for cooking eggs is either underhand or illegal.

    Yeah...and I resent the misappropriation of the age old country pursuit of a free meal at the expense of the local landed gentry. Rabbit, trout, pheasant...they all tasted better knowing you'd pulled one over the gamekeeper :smokey:
  • Reply 15 of 51



    Maybe Apple sees batteries as a real opportunity now.

    This could be very big.

  • Reply 16 of 51
    Apple is poaching Samsung employees…proves Apple is going to start making crap copied from others, just as Apple poaching from Tesla means that Apple will start making an electric car.
  • Reply 17 of 51
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by knowitall View Post

     



    Maybe Apple sees batteries as a real opportunity now.

    This could be very big.




    batteries yes, new technology yes integrated chips in batteries yes

    FUEL CELLS BETTER

    thats what i think apple has up its sleeve they are learning much with these data centers can you imagine an iPhone 6 with a tiny fuel cell lasting days weeks.   Easy charging no cords wow that's so apple

  • Reply 18 of 51
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by singularity View Post



    Oh come on. Apple poaching Samsung employees. At least create a rumour that could be true.

    Yeah, it's not like any of them could contribute to ideas that are patentable.

  • Reply 19 of 51
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    "Apple rumored to be poaching Samsung employees to create new chip fab process using ivory"

    How's that for inflammatory?
  • Reply 20 of 51
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Blastdoor View Post

     

    (that is, people who are interested in moving to the US are more likely flexible, adventurous people). 


    Is there anyone who doesn't want to move to California? This place is packed with foreigners, at least that is what the Mexicans say.

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