Apple to Design Its Own Power Management Chips in the Future?
Apple may be looking to go to another direction in relation to building a vital component of their smartphones.
An insider said that the company will no longer be getting the chips from current supplier, Dialog Semiconductor, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.
"Based on Apple's current plan, they are set to replace around half of its power management chips to go into iPhones by itself, starting next year," said one of the sources. Moreover, another source said that the chips will only be ready come 2019.
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The Verge noted the value of power management chips, saying that they are responsible for battery life management, energy consumption, and charging of the smartphones. Furthermore, sources also stated that the new chips will be Apple's "most advanced" to date, highlighted by their power monitoring prowess that is better than the competition.
The chips, however, will still be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor, which is also Dialog's supplier and the world's largest chipmaker, the report added.
Meanwhile, CNet reported that Dialog's shares in Europe plummeted 18 percent, down to €30.46 after the news came out of Apple's possible move. Dialog gets most of its revenue from Apple, the report noted.
Last week, Tekz24 reported that Apple will build a new smartphone that will serve as a more affordable alternative to the iPhone X. The device, according to reliable sources close to the matter, will be the follow up to the iPhone SE and will be built in India, an emerging market in the smartphone landscape.
Moreover, the sources said that the upcoming smartphone will likely be released during the first quarter of 2018. The report also noted that Apple started manufacturing smartphones in Bengaluru, Karnataka, in India in May of this year. Additionally, it has also partnered Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron to build the smartphones.
