Samsung signs $240M deal to supply iPad displays
updated 11:00 am EDT, Thu March 25, 2010
Company may also gain iPhone contract
Samsung has taken an order of 3 million LCD displays for use in the Apple iPad, an industry source tells the Korea Times. Identified only as a "high-ranking industry representative," the source says that the deal is worth about $240 million. The pricetag is said to stem from the wholesale cost of an iPad screen. "The most expensive component in the iPad is the display and touchscreen interface that costs $80 for all models," the source remarks. "The 9.7-inch display is more than twice the size of the iPhone 3GS screen and costs five times as much."
The company has also allegedly been in talks about supplying LCDs for the fourth-generation iPhone, which should be announced in June if historical trends continue. "As far as I know, Apple will use the LCD panels for its next iPhone models. We are receiving related orders from Apple," an anonymous company executive comments.
The main LCD supplier for the iPad is LG, which has an $800 million deal for 10 million panels. Samsung is also one of the primary flash memory suppliers however, alongside Toshiba and Hynix.
Apple and Samsung representatives have so far issued no statements on the Times report.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2006
Samsung sucks at math
"The 9.7-inch display is more than twice the size of the iPhone 3GS screen and costs five times as much."
I hope Samsung is better with displays than math. The display ought to be at least 4 times the size of an iPhone, so 5 times the cost ain't bad.