Apple looks to be distancing itself even more from Samsung by looking to Japan-based suppliers for its DRAM and NAND flash memory needs. Apple and Samsung have been locked in legal battles for months over claims they are infringing on each other’s patents.
Apparently Apple is sourcing the memory it needs for devices such as the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air from Toshiba and Elpida Memory, according to DigiTimes.
Apple shuns Samsung for memory purchases
Apple and Samsung have been locked in a legal battle over patent infringement claims for several months. Both companies have alleged that the other’s mobile devices use patented technologies without proper licensing, and have filed lawsuits against each other in the U.S. and other countries.
A German court recently upheld an injunction blocking the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the country, and the company filed an appeal in hopes of overturning that ruling.
Apple was also awarded a temporary injunction through a Dutch court blocking the sale of some Galaxy devices in the European Union, and Samsung has agreed to postpone sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia until the end of September.
Samsung apparently also lost Apple’s custom chip fabrication to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. If so, that will be a big blow to Samsung since it had planned on dramatically ramping up its chip production to meet Apple’s needs.