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Apple and Samsung working together on iPhone 5

The two companies are putting their court woes behind them to focus on the iPhone 5, according to reports. What multiple law suits?

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Samsung and Apple may be suing each other over patents in many countries, but they're putting it all behind them to focus on the iPhone 5, according to The Korea Times, reports CNET.

Samsung is making the Apple-designed A6 chip for the next generation smart phone, contrary to recent rumours. The Korean company has even boosted production of chips at its plant in Austin, Texas. It was seem as if the two have finally found a way to play nice.

"Apple has been in talks with Samsung over shipment of its A6 quad-core mobile processor (AP) chips to be used in the next iPhone," an anonymous exec from a Korean Apple supplier told the paper. "It appears that Apple clearly has concluded that Samsung remains a critical business partner… Samsung Electronics will apply its advanced 28-nanometer processing technology to produce qualified A6 mobile APs."

This conflicts with reports last month claiming Apple was dropping Samsung as a supplier, reducing the components it bought from it and buying more from others. It claimed that Apple would buy flash memory from Toshiba, and that chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) would make the A6 processor.

However, the source claims TSMC will provide customised chips designed from Apple, though only in small numbers. Apple has been hesitant to switch to TSMC completely due to fears its manufacturing process isn't stable.

Apple invited Samsung's chief operating officer Lee Jae-Yong to yesterday's private memorial for Steve Jobs, so the two companies can't be on that bad terms.

Apple and Samsung have been locked in legal wrangles for months now, with Apple claiming Samsung "slavishly copied" its designs for tablets and smart phones. Samsung returned fire by claiming Apple copied its wireless technology patents, and is attempting to block sales of the iPhone 4S in Australia, where Apple managed to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned.

But with so much money to be made, it seems both companies are prepared to put their differences aside.