What really is the scene between Apple and Samsung? Are they friends? Are they foes? Are they partners? Or are they competitors? If you ask me, whatever is going on between them is utterly ridiculous.
Lets take it from the start. Right about the time Apple began its innovative approach towards products which is now its trademark, it chose Samsung as one of its partners to create parts for its unique products.
In essence, every iPod, iPad or iPhone that Apple is renowned for, is actually the mutual effort of many companies and not just Apple. Anyways before we spin off-track, you do know that while Apple deals in a range of devices such as Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple TVs and some others, Samsung has an even bigger range of devices that it caters to. Not only that, it also makes spare parts for many devices. In fact, it has been responsible for the screen of some previous iPhones and Apple’s very first iPad.
To cut a long story short, basically, everything was going pretty fine and Apple was sourcing backend from Samsung for a long time. Then just one day Samsung decided to come out with its own tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Until this point, Samsung had hardly given competition to Apple in any department. But as soon as it came out, the Galaxy tab made clear that it was hard competition for Apple’s iPad.
And here comes the part which is entirely up for speculation. So, Apple alleges one day that Samsung used its design and technology to create the Galaxy Tab. It gets everyone to ban the Galaxy Tab, albeit for a very short period as its case didn’t stand in court.
Still, damage was done and both of these companies indulged in a bitter legal battle that seemed to last for years altogether. Samsung stopped producing screens for Apple, which is sought to be the prime reason in the launch of the iPhone 4S rather han iPhone 5 last year.
After Steve Jobs died last year, Apple’s reins were handed over to Tim Cook, a subtle guy who doesn’t take as much offence as Jobs at anything and everything. Slowly but steadily, he has begun correcting where Apple went wrong.
He has in fact resumed ties with Samsung, which is the only company in the world that can cater to Apple’s high demand of quality QXGA displays. According to recent reports, Apple might have signed an $11 billion contract with Samsung which might be a landmark in their relationship.
“The amount of the current contract is around $9.7 billion. The popularity of Apple products lines the pockets of Samsung as well. The amount may go up to $11 billion, depending on the demand for Apple products.” An unnamed Samsung source was quoted by GSMarena.
So, here’s where it all rests. Samsung is the only resort for Apple when it comes to displays, while Apple is such a customer that Samsung cannot lose. We hope they never fight like children in the future and remain as well-behaved as they are now.