According to industry sources, two of the world“s largest makers of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), Samsung Electronics and LG Display, are close to securing big orders from Apple.
Apple is looking …
According to industry sources, two of the world“s largest makers of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), Samsung Electronics and LG Display, are close to securing big orders from Apple. Apple is looking to order advanced screens for the next version of its tablet computers, and recently filed a patent infringement suit against Samsung for allegedly copying the look and feel of its iPhones and iPads in its own offerings. Samsung and LG were required to produce screens with better picture quality and density, and Apple has started quality testing the LCDs at one of its laboratories in China. Apple“s upcoming iPad 3 will feature an improved display to support quad extended graphics (QXGA), a display resolution of 20481536 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio to provide full high definition (HD) viewing experience,““ said a source. Apple has traditionally preferred to use the same providers of the same parts for the same device, even as they evolve to different versions. I don“t see any fundamental change to that approach,““ the source added. The imminent deals would assure that Samsung and LG continue to be the biggest providers of flat screens to Apple for the foreseeable future. Samsung and LG are both capable of providing high-resolution QXGA screens up to 9.7 inches, thanks to advanced production technology based on the use of low temperature polysilicon. Samsung and LG have been cutting their LCD output by more than 15% to prevent further prices falls, according to company officials, due to the slow recovery of the global economy, which has depressed demand for electronics products such as flat-screen televisions. Apple has also been buying considerable DRAM, NAND flash and other components from Samsung, which also makes Apple-designed A4 and A5 processors on a foundry basis, but has recently started to move a great deal of its memory chip orders to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Apple is currently testing its future iPhones and iPads with processors manufactured by TSMC, which is also the world“s largest contract chipmaker. The situation is less complicated for LG. We aren“t affected significantly by Apple“s changing approach. Apple is first and foremost about product quality, and while it may find other manufacturers to provide customized chips for its new products, the same can“t be said about LCDs,““ said a senior Samsung executive, asking not to be named.