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The Korea Times reports that Samsung will stop providing Apple with LCD panels next year. According to an unnamed “senior Samsung source,” the company is unwilling to sell displays to Apple at the steep discounts of some of its competitors like LG.
At the beginning of this year, Samsung was the single largest supplier of Apple flat panels, but according to the report, Samsung didn’t ship any displays for the iPad Mini which will be announced tomorrow. The companies obviously refused to comment. Given Apple’s billion dollar legal victory over Samsung this year and stiff competition for consumer hearts, it makes sense that the relationship between Samsung and Apple might not be so cozy these days. [Korea Times via TechCrunch]
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Their loss not Apples and also Apple was one step ahead by having already started to diversify their manufacturing early this year
Diversifying manufacturing probably explains why some screens have defects some don’t, some cameras have purple lens flare some don’t, diversifying = inconsistency Apple didn’t build their products on inconsistency sadly that looks like the way its going.
And Samsung have always produced the best panels in Apple products. The image retention issue on the retina macbooks a while back which did not occur in Samsung produced screens.
It won’t really affect Apple anyway. The sheer number of panels that Apple orders would make up for the lower price per unit, and many other companies will try and get the contract.
IT’s ok to say Apple can just go to other suppliers, but quality will be an issue. Just look at the image retention problems on all panels except the Samsung ones.
They will correct it, but in the meantime will lose ground if it takes too long.
It may not effect the supply amount but it will surely effect the quality and consistency of its products for sure!
Whether or not new suppliers will fix the issues or on time or not is another debate but consistency will be an issue as different suppliers will have different quality displays. This not a memory or hdd or case issue that you cant judge easily, it is the foremost visible/used part of the whole products! and it will be the most judged and talked issue over time if they cant stabilize consistency of the quality.
Time will show that whether or not this is a wise decision by Apple…
Hopefully then this means Sharp will get even more apple business and start to turn around a once great company.
Many other small companies are benefitting because of fight between these gaints…one way its good but the other way its too bad.
The sooner Apple die the sooner we have innovation and less copying. Sadly the only thing that will bring on Apples death is the next big thing for the gay market because apparently they drive what is cool now.
Do you guys know whom now provides LCD panels for Apple?