Samsung ceases to be Apple's suppliers?

Although Samsung is a major supplier of Apple, but the competition heats up between the two sides in the smartphone market, and even lead to a patent war, so analysts believe that Apple is trying to reduce its dependence on Samsung.

Professional electronic equipment repair website iFixit teardown analysis of the iPad mini first listed, the product uses Samsung's display driver chips that Apple are still using the display technology of the Korean company.

Like most mobile device manufacturers, Apple usually use the same device parts of many companies. For example, the company was also a display of LG Display.

"iFixit said:" Although the LCD screen on the back did not come with too much information, but Samsung's display driver chips still show that Apple once again use the Samsung display.

Able to supply parts for the Apple iPhone and iPad parts suppliers, can be described as a success. According to the iFixit teardown, iPad mini also uses flash SK Hynix, Broadcom touch controller as well as a variety of micro-chip Fairchild.

In addition, professional chip Website Chipworks, iPad mini also uses a Samsung 32-nanometer production A5 processor. A5 processor is the first to use a 45-nanometer production process, but Apple earlier this year launched an upgraded version of the iPad 2 and the third-generation Apple TV, has been using the 32-nanometer process more efficient. The fifth-generation iPod Touch also uses this chip.

7.9-inch iPad mini marks Apple's first foray into the field of small-sized tablet PCs, in order to defend the Tablet PC market dominance, and prevent other manufacturers in the field of small-sized tablet PC penetration.

Due to the The iPad mini integration of most of the features of the full-size iPad makes this product great acclaim. But critics have also pointed out that, compared with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7, the price of the product is too high, the display effect is slightly worse.

iPad mini Tim Cook (Tim Cook) to succeed since served as Apple CEO Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs), the first increase in new products. The analysts believe that Google and Amazon's product strategy also had an impact on the decision-making.

The iPad mini sales through online channels for a week, but Apple has not yet disclosed the sales data. The analysts believe that, look from last Friday's global release conditions, the demand for the product is very strong.

However, Apple still have to overcome some obstacles. The WiFi iPad mini priced at $ 329, higher than many analysts expected. Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus prices are $ 199, and has accounted for a substantial share of the low-end tablet PC market.

At the same time, the company is still in the smart phone market start competing with Samsung, which is Apple's main revenue and profit sources. Samsung beyond Apple last year to become the world's largest smartphone vendor.

Apple and Samsung patent war erupted in several countries, Apple is also working to reduce dependence on Samsung. But Samsung is one of Apple's major suppliers, providing application processor and other key components.

The market research firm DisplaySearch, Samsung has stopped the supply to the Apple iPhone display, play a role in the full-size iPad is also weakening. The process of the production of the iPhone 5, Apple also reduced the number of memory chips purchased from Samsung, Hynix and Elpida purchases.

Many analysts believe that Apple will gradually abandon reliance on Samsung mobile processor in favor of cooperation with TSMC.