• Apple to Acquire Israeli Flash Memory Chip Maker Anobit

    // Gradly // Acquisition, Apple, blog, News, Rumors, Tech. No Responses

    Anobit Logo

    People have been wondering what should Apple do with its enormous pile of cash. If TechCrunch is to be believed, a new report suggests that Apple is about to spend between $400 and $500 million to acquire Anobit, an Israeli-based flash memory chip maker.

    If this is a true, it would be the 5th Hardware company acquired since the first Steve Jobs founded NeXT, Raycer Graphics, Intrinsity and P.A. Semi.

    Anobit provides flash storage solutions for enterprise and mobile markets, based on its proprietary MSP (which stands for ‘Memory Signal Processing’) technology. Its solutions are designed to improve the speed, endurance and performance of flash storage systems while driving down the cost.

    According to Calcalist report, Apple relies on the company’s solutions for the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air product lines, among other devices. South Korean Hynix is said to use Anobit’s solution for a flash memory chip you can find inside the iPhone 4S.

    Apple is likely interested in the 200-people company to add them to its base of engineering talents.

  • TSMC Begins Testing Apple’s A6 Processor with 28-nanometer Technology

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPad, iPhone, News, Samsung, Tech. No Responses

    Taiwan Economic News is reporting that local Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry by market shares now, has started trial production of the A6 processor in cooperation with Apple Inc., with the production design to be taped out in the first quarter of next year and scheduled to be publicly unveiled in the second quarter at the earliest, according to industry sources.

    TSMC has applied its newest 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technologies to produce the next-generation processor A6, which is based on the ARM architecture and will undergo TSMC’s cutting-edge silicon interposer and bump on trace (BOT) methodologies. Industry insiders said that the manufacturing will help to pump considerable momentum into TSMC’s business growth starting next year, though the company has yet to comment on the deal for the moment.

    We already reported that Apple and TSMC have begun testing in July, however, both reports suggest that the next iPad 3 could be the first to sport the new processor in 2012.

    Let us wait and see how this will affect Samsung as Apple keen to shift most of production away from the korean company as Samsung has emerged as Apple’s toughest competitor in the smartphone and tablet market.

  • Apple Begins Test Production Of A6 Processor with TSMC

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPad, iPhone, Mobile, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors, Samsung, Tech. 1 Response

    Citing a source with knowledge of the matter, Apple and Taiwan-based TSMC have begun manufacturing test of Apple’s next-generation A6 processor. The fact that Apple is working with TSMC on this may serve as a sign that Apple is shifting from its traditional chip supplier, Samsung Electronics.

    Currently, Samsung is the sole supplier of the A5 chips used in the iPad 2, but Apple has hinted it is keen to diversify away from the Korean company. The two are battling a legal dispute over patents, and Samsung has also emerged as Apple’s toughest competitor in the smartphone and tablet market.

    It’s currently not finalized that TSMC will produce the new chip for Apple. but the test run is said to be authorized. It’s also expected that Samsung will lower prices and fight to retain Apple’s business in manufacturing the A6.

    “It has to redesign the chipset, which Samsung has been deeply involved from the beginning and has some intellectual property. Apple could try various suppliers but they (Samsung and Apple) need each other and the relationship will continue.”

    The A5 chip is designed by the California company and analysts say it is based on British chip designer ARM Holdings technology. Details of Apple’s technology are hard to come by though given its obsession with secrecy.

    The A6 will likely debut next year as part of 3rd generation iPad, as the current trend is for Apple to place new technology in the iPad first, then shrink and optimize it later for use in the iPhone.

    The A6 will reportedly use a new 28-nanometer process, making it smaller and more power efficient, and could be powerful enough to use inside future Macs, such as future models of the MacBook Air which is a strong possibility.

  • iPhone 5 in September With A5 Chip, 8MP Camera. iPad 3 to Get Higher Resolution Display

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Featured, Gadgets, iPad, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors, Tech. No Responses

    A new report by Bloomberg has backed up rumors from the past few months and says that Apple’s upcoming fifth-generation iPhone will make its debut in September and will boast a stronger chip for processing data and a more advanced camera and will closely resmeble the current iPhone 4 unlike many reports that hinted about a teardrop shaped build, The device will include the A5 processor, the more powerful chip that Apple added to the iPad 2 earlier this year, along with an 8-megapixel camera, up from the 5-megapixel model in the iPhone 4.

    Apple is also said to be testing a new version of the iPad that has a higher resolution screen, similar to the one now used in the iPhone 4. The screen resolution on Apple’s new iPad would be about one-third higher than that of the iPad 2 and will sport a more responsive touchscreen.

    The new iPhone will also come preloaded with iOS 5, which features Notification Center, new camera features, Twitter integration, iCloud support, an updated mail application, a location-based reminders application, iMessages, and much more. iOS 5 previewed earlier in WWDC and will be a unified OS for all Apple mobile devices:

    The new phone will run the iOS 5 operating system Apple previewed at a developer’s conference earlier this month. Codenamed “Telluride,” it will feature already-announced features such as improved messaging and photo-sharing, one person said. It’s also designed to run on all of Apple’s mobile devices, this person said. Until late last year, iPads, iPhones and iPod touches used slightly different versions of iOS.

    And the idea of a cheaper iPhone version seems to be valid after all:

    Apple is also working to finish a cheaper version of the iPhone aimed at attracting customers in developing countries, the people said. This device would use chips and displays of similar quality to today’s iPhone 4, the people said. Apple’s work on a smaller, lower-priced version of the device was discussed by people familiar with the matter in February.

    The next generation iPhone is expected to pack a new cellular chip from the Qualcomm that can support both GSM and CDMA networks.