A Samsung official told the newspaper, “We are unable to supply our flat-screens to Apple with huge price discounts.” That is presumably the “stiffer supply-chain management structure” problem the company cited.
This appears to be the latest fallout from the ongoing legal battles between Apple and Samsung over intellectual property rights. For a long time, it looked like Samsung would continue as a supplier for iPhone, iPad, and other Apple products, but last week Samsung revealed that it is taking a diminished role in Apple’s smartphone chip designs as well.
Samsung believes that LCD panel sales to Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and to the company’s own smartphone group will fill the gap left by Apple. But which gap – the 7.5 million units per quarter gap or the 3 million or less units per quarter gap?
Paul Ausick