Korea

This morning, LG announced a brand new Android flip phone to join its ranks. The LG Gentle, or LG U Plus, will be sold for 200,000 Korean Won (roughly $171 USD) to early adopters, and be available in both navy or burgundy.

The ‘Gentle’ is aptly named, and is designed to be both soft to the touch and comfortable to hold in your palm. Flip the phone open and there’s a large traditional physical keypad with bespoke buttons for functions like launching camera and messages, for example. Although you can use the directional pad to control the phone, the 3.2-inch 480×320 LCD display is touch sensitive too.

Specs include a modest 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 1,700mAh battery, 3MP rear camera, 1GB RAM and 4GB storage with the option to expand via MicroSD card. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and is equipped with USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

It’s not the first, and almost certainly won’t be the last Android-powered clamshell launched in Korea. They are seemingly very popular with the older generation who want the latest tech in a familiar form factor.

LG says that the G4 will begin rolling out ‘this week’ to certain markets

Stephen Hall May 17 2015 - 8:59 pm PT

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In a pretty ambiguous press release, LG has come out this afternoon (or this morning for those in Seoul) to announce that its recently-announced G4 flagship will begin shipping this week to consumers in “key markets around the world.” The rollout will supposedly begin in Hong Kong, followed by introductions in Turkey, Russia, and Singapore…
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LG G4 to be ‘radically different,’ phone more powerful than the G series in the works

Stephen Hall Mar 4 2015 - 9:32 am PT

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A couple reports out of Korea today highlight some of LG’s plans for the relatively near future, including a statement (via Korea Times) from the company’s mobile chief Cho Jun-ho suggesting that the upcoming LG G4 is going to be “radically different” than its predecessor. The device will reportedly feature a “metal-mixtured” body and sport the company’s LG UX 4.0, which Cho says will be announced sometime before the new phone.

Also, LG also reportedly has a completely new device series in the works (via Korea Herald), featuring more powerful specs than the current top-of-the-line G series…
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LG posts 78% smartphone growth in US holiday quarter over last year

Seth Weintraub Jan 29 2015 - 12:22 am PT

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LG posted its quarterly earnings numbers today and boasted impressive numbers in its smartphone group. Globally, Smartphone sales were up 24% but in the US alone, smartphones shipments were up 78% for the quarter year over year. LG ended the year having moved 59.1 million smartphones, bolstered by its popular G3 flagship. Those aren’t Apple numbers by any stretch but still very solid.

LG also posted growth in its home entertainment sector but a net loss overall for the quarter mostly due to charges related to shutting down its Plasma business.

SEOUL, Jan. 29, 2015 ― LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced net profit of KRW 501.40 billion (USD 474.81million) for full-year 2014, an increase of 125 percent over 2013 net profit. Operating profit increased significantly in 2014 to KRW 1.83 trillion (USD 1.73 billion) from KRW 1.25 trillion (USD 1.14 billion) in 2013, an increase of 46 percent. Full-year consolidated revenue of KRW 59.04 trillion (USD 55.91 billion) was mainly boosted by a 24 percent increase in smartphone shipments.

The LG Mobile Communications Company reported a 16 percent increase in annual revenue to KRW 15.06 trillion (USD 14.26 billion) with help from North America, where shipments increased 78 percent during the fourth quarter of 2014 from the previous year. Fourth-quarter revenue of 3.78 trillion (USD 3.48 billion) was 5 percent higher than the same period in 2013. A total of 59.1 million smartphones were shipped in 2014, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, among 78.2 million mobile handsets sold last year. Expecting a challenging year ahead with greater competition globally from various manufacturers, LG will concentrate on improving its brand power, operating more efficiently, and focusing on selective key markets.

LG G3 helped company’s Q3 sales climb 39%, with profits more than doubled

Ben Lovejoy Oct 29 2014 - 4:50 am PT

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LG’s twin-track smartphone strategy – offering both premium G-series models and cheaper L-series devices – appears to be working, with the company announcing Q3 smartphone sales up by 39% to 16.8M and operating profits more than doubled to 461B won ($440M). The results beat analyst expectations, and LG said that it was bullish about future prospects.

Building on its momentum and two consecutive profitable quarters, LG expects to strengthen its positioning in the smartphone market with its G Series and L Series models despite the landscape becoming more competitive

The G3 handset in particular has helped the company gain ground against its much larger Korean rival Samsung. Samsung is due to announce its own Q3 results tomorrow, but has already issued a profit warning on the basis of low average selling prices of its phones …
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Alleged leak shows Samsung Gear VR headset arriving Dec. for under $200

Jordan Kahn Oct 6 2014 - 6:33 am PT

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According to leaked documents spotted by GForGames, Samsung is planning a December release for its new Gear VR virtual reality headset that pairs with the recently launched Galaxy Note 4. The document, which we haven’t been able to verify as authentic, also claims that the headset will arrive for 200,000 Won in Korea. That’s under $200 in USD (approximately $187).
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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launch met with ‘screen gap’ manufacturing issue

Jordan Kahn Sep 29 2014 - 7:57 am PT

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It appears Samsung’s launch of its new Galaxy Note 4 is running into issues with a number of early customers in Korea reporting a manufacturing problem causing a large gap between the display the frame of the device. South Korean outlet IT Today first reported the controversy noting that the gap on the device is roughly the the thickness of a business card. As you’d probably imagine, that could be a big problem for dust, dirt and waterproofing features.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 officially launches Sept 26, 140 countries by end of October

Jordan Kahn Sep 24 2014 - 7:25 am PT

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Samsung officially confirmed the launch of its new Galaxy Note 4 today announcing that the device will launch in Korea on September 26. It also said the new flagship smartphone would arrive in 140 countries by the end of October.
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Google opening Campus location in Seoul, hopes to develop more Korean startups

Mark Hearn Aug 27 2014 - 7:36 am PT

Google announced today that it’s launching a Campus startup community hub in Seoul Korea. This will be the tech giant’s first location in Asia, which joins its growing global network of sites like Campus London, Campus Tel Aviv, and the soon to be available Campus Warsaw and Campus Sao Paulo.

Google Chromecast now available in South Korea

Mark Hearn May 14 2014 - 7:11 am PT

After months of streaming content around the world, Chromecast is now officially available in South Korea. As in other territories, the me Google’s media dongle will feature streaming support across Android, iOS and desktop versions of Chrome. Google is partnering with Korean media outlets like Tving and Hoppin to offer access to thousands of domestic videos, movies and TV shows.

Google estimates that over 80 percent of YouTube views in Korea come from smartphones, which could make the Chromecast a viable option in this mobile driven market.

(via Google)

Samsung’s Swarovski Galaxy S5, Galaxy Gear collection launches today

Jonathan Kizer May 8 2014 - 11:12 am PT

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLBCACEX2k]

Samsung’s “Crystal Collection” Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear line are available on the company’s online store starting today, though only in Korea. The devices are also available for pre-order for the Chinese market.

The sparkly device will eventually be make its way to Samsung’s UK retail stores in the UK in the coming weeks. If you’re in the United States and hoping to get your hands on this handset, start looking into importing it. Chances are, Samsung will never officially release the device in the North American, as no plans have been shared thus far.

The “Swarovski for Samsung” collaboration comes on the heels of a successful accessory partnership between the two brands during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York this past season. The collection marks the first time in more than 100 years that Swarovski has participated in a collaboration of this scale, where it fully integrates its branding into the collection.

With technology and fashion so deeply intertwined, Samsung is more dedicated than ever to supporting self-expression through technological innovation and meaningful partnerships,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung. “Collaborating with Swarovski on this stunning collection of device accessories reflects our commitment to providing people with user-experiences that express their distinct personalities and taste.

Samsung Galaxy S5 goes on sale in 125 countries today, with kill-switch to keep it safe

Ben Lovejoy Apr 11 2014 - 4:13 am PT

Samsung has announced that the Samsung Galaxy S5 goes on sale today in 125 countries, along with the new Gear smartwatches. It was already known that it would be launched today in the USA.

The new Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Gear devices – Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear 2 Neo, and Samsung Gear Fit – are ready to hit the market in 125 countries in Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America, and most of Asia.

The S5 has a 5.1-inch full HD display which was declared “the best smartphone display ever tested” by DisplayMate. Other key features include a fingerprint sensor and heartrate monitor. Reviewers considered it an excellent phone, albeit lacking in excitement …
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LG G2 not selling as well as anticipated with 2.3 million units sold

David Beren Dec 9 2013 - 9:23 am PT

A story out of Korean publication Asia Today is indicating some bad news for fans of LG’s G2 flagship smartphone. According to the publication, sales of the device are falling well below expectations with just 2.3 million units sold in the four months post launch. LG had projected 3 million units for the third quarter alone and have only hit 600,000 units in their home country of Korea.

Samsung promises folding displays by 2015, teases phone that becomes a tablet

Ben Lovejoy Nov 6 2013 - 4:20 am PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3x-bAWZWPM

The video may be slightly cringeworthy (hot girls are always turned on by geek tech, right?), but the concept is certainly an exciting one: a foldable display which allows a pocketable smartphone to unfold or unroll into a tablet …
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The LG Flex actually does, though we’re not quite sure why

Ben Lovejoy Nov 5 2013 - 3:59 am PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LahYuSyWidc

We first heard the LG G Flex – a smartphone with a curved OLED display – was on its way just over a month ago. That was followed by renders and then photos and video. What none of these showed, however, was the the flexible display really does flex. In fact, the whole phone does …
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Gangnam Style star ‘PSY’ to perform new single live on YouTube this weekend

Jordan Kahn Apr 11 2013 - 10:27 am PT

YouTube announced on its official blog today that YouTube star PSY will be hitting YouTube this weekend to perform his second single “Gentleman” live for the first time ever following the success of his massively popular Gangnam Style video:

This Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time (2:30 a.m. PST), PSY will kick off a live streamed concert from the Seoul World Cup Stadium and share his new single with the world. You can check out the action atwww.youtube.com/officialpsy, where the concert will be rebroadcast for 24 hours after the live event.

Back in December PSY’s Gangnam Style video became the first to hit 1 billion views.

LG reports ‘solid’ Q3 earnings with $138.57M in net profit

Jordan Kahn Oct 24 2012 - 6:03 am PT

LG is out with its Q3 earnings today, and it is reporting what it called “solid third-quarter performance” thanks to strong handset sales. The company took in $138.57M in net profit for the quarter, while recording 19.42 million operating profit for its mobile business:

LG Mobile Communications Company improved significantly in the 2012 third quarter, recording operating profit of KRW 22 billion (USD 19.42 million) due in large part to healthy sales of LTE smartphones in Korea, Japan and the United States. In addition, Optimus L-Series continued to expand into 3G markets, contributing to the sales increase. Revenues increased by 5 percent quarter-to-quarter to KRW 2.45 trillion (USD 2.16 billion) as shipments exceeded 14 million units, an increase of 9 percent from the previous quarter. The company expects to further increase its shipments and revenue in the fourth quarter with the global launch of the Optimus G superphone and sales of Optimus Vu: 2 in Korea.

LG’s full press release below:

LG ANNOUNCES THIRD-QUARTER 2012 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Company Reports Third Consecutive Quarter of Solid Net Income

SEOUL, Oct. 24, 2012 –- LG Electronics (LG) today reported a solid third-quarter performance with the third consecutive quarter of positive net income and all four companies recording strong operating profits. Better-than-expected performance in the mobile and home appliance businesses helped offset a slight decline in overall year-over-year sales for the third quarter.

Third-quarter net profit of KRW 157 billion (USD 138.57 million) with operating profit recording KRW 221 billion (USD 195.06 million) showed significant improvements from the loss in the same period last year. Third-quarter revenues fell 4 percent year-over-year to KRW 12.38 trillion (USD 10.93 billion) due to the continuing decline of feature phone sales and overall weak demand.

LG Home Entertainment Company third-quarter 2012 sales of KRW 5.49 trillion (USD 4.84 billion) were led by an increase in LCD TV sales, offsetting sluggish global demand. Percentage sales attributed to 3D TVs and LED TVs increased quarter-on-quarter with unit sales growing in most regions. IT products led by IPS monitors and monitor TVs also increased from the previous quarter. Operating profit of KRW 89 billion (USD 78.55 million) was unchanged from third quarter 2011. In the fourth quarter, the company plans to increase sales of LCD TVs by expanding marketing of CINEMA 3D Smart TVs and enhancing its premium brand positioning with the new Ultra HD TV.

LG Home Appliance Company reported improved sales and operating profit from the same quarter last year. Revenue increased 6.4 percent year-over-year to KRW 2.87 trillion (USD 2.53 billion) and operating profit of KRW 129 billion (USD 113.86 million) reflected strong sales in the United States as well as emerging markets. With global appliance demand stagnant, the fourth quarter will be challenging but additional marketing promotions and new model launches should help offset the situation.

LG Air Conditioning and Energy Solution Company posted a 3 percent year-over-year sales decline to KRW 974 billion (USD 859.66 million) while profitability increased slightly from the same period the previous year. The company expects worldwide demand to remain sluggish but the trend toward more energy efficient products should help drive demand in its commercial air conditioning systems business.

2012 3Q Exchange Rates Explained
LG Electronics’ unaudited quarterly earnings results are based on IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending September 30, 2012. Amounts in Korean Won (KRW) are translated into U.S. Dollars (USD) at the average rate of the three-month period in each corresponding quarter: KRW 1,133 per USD (2012 3Q) and KRW 1,082 per USD (2011 3Q).

Earnings Conference and Conference Call
LG Electronics will hold a Korean language earnings news conference on October 24, 2012 at 16:00 Korea Standard Time at the LG Twin Tower Auditorium (B1 East Tower, 20 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea). An English language conference call will follow on October 25, 2012 at 10:00 Korea Standard Time (01:00 GMT/UTC). Participants are instructed to call +82 31 810 3069 and enter the passcode 9084#.
The corresponding presentation file will be available for download at the LG Electronics website
(www.lg.com/global/ir/reports/earning-release.jsp) at 13:30 on October 24, 2012.
Please visit http://pin.teletogether.com/eng/ and pre-register with the passcode provided. For those unable to participate, an audio recording of the news conference will be available for a period of 30 days after the conclusion of the call. To access the recording, dial +82 31 931 3100 and enter the passcode 142670# when prompted.

LG reveals Optimus Vu II ‘all-in-one remote control’ smartphone with infrared, launches in September for Korea

Élyse Betters Aug 27 2012 - 7:22 am PT

The Optimus Vu II, or the “all-in-one remote control,” just unveiled for Korea, but Engadget promptly noted the announcement falsely claimed it is the first smartphone to sport infrared. LG dubbed the Optimus Vu II the “the world’s first smartphone using infrared,” and it gave the Android handset a general launch date for “next month.” The device’s tech is built around the QRemote remote control app, which subsequently allows users to manage set-top boxes, appliances, TVs, and even competitors’ electronic products, but the presser did not name additional specs or pricing.

Check it out: Press release (translated)

LG’s 5-inch Vu phablet launches globally

9to5 Staff Aug 19 2012 - 9:25 pm PT

LG ANNOUNCES GLOBAL AVAILABILITY OF OPTIMUS VU:
Largest LG Smartphone to Be Launched in
Europe, Asia, Middle East/Africa and Latin America

SEOUL, Aug. 20, 2012 – On the heels of its successful debut in Korea and Japan, the Optimus Vu: will make its global debut starting in select markets in Europe, Asia, Middle East/Africa and Latin America starting in September. With the world’s first 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio display, the Optimus Vu: blurs the line between traditional tablets and smartphones for a truly unique smart device experience.

Since its March debut in Korea, the Optimus Vu: has sold over 500,000 units, demonstrating public acceptance of its form-factor. The reception the device received in Korea prompted LG to launch the Optimus Vu: in Japan this month, where it has also been received positively by Japanese consumers.

For the global roll-out, the Optimus Vu: will be equipped with NVIDIA? Tegra? 3 mobile processor, the super 4-PLUS-1™ quad-core with 5th battery-saver core, that offers a superb balance of performance and power requirements. 4 cores are used for high performance tasks such as games and multitasking. For voice call, email, music and video playback, only 5th battery-saver core is enabled and it consumes very less power.

When paired with the high-resolution 5-inch, 4:3 ratio IPS display, the Optimus Vu: becomes something special – a device that’s both pocketable and spacious. The Optimus Vu: will come with an upgraded version of QuickMemo™ and Notebook, two features which make great use of the large display real estate.

“The different form factor makes Optimus Vu: unique even in the 5-inch smartphone category which we expect will catch on once they become more widely available,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

Key Specifications:
Operating System Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Network 3G
Display 5.0-inch 4:3 ratio XGA IPS with 768 x 1024 pixels
Memory 32GB
Cameras 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP front
Size 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5mm
Weight 168g

Report: HTC shuts down South Korea office over sinking handset sales

Élyse Betters Jul 30 2012 - 5:26 am PT

Get the full report at TechWorld.

Smartphone manufacturer HTC just announced that it closed its South Korea office due to low device sales in the country. The Taiwan-based company, which produces many Android handsets, suffered financial declines in recent quarters due to stiff competition in the market.

According to Korean news site Yonhap:

“Taiwanese handset maker HTC Corp. is set to pull out of South Korea following fruitless attempts to stay afloat in the local market dominated by the world’s top smartphone maker Samsung Electronics Co., market watchers said Monday.

On Friday, HTC officially announced its plan to close its Seoul office, a move that comes just a few months after its local unit head ended a brief six-month stint due largely to sluggish sales.”

TechWorld elaborated:

“HTC did not specifically mention layoffs, and said it was encouraging affected employees to apply for open positions within the company. ‘This is a hard decision that has direct impact on people who have contributed to the growth HTC has experienced the past several years,’ it said in a statement.”

South Korea has been a challenging market for foreign vendors including HTC to break into, said Nicole Peng, an analyst with research firm Canalys.

HTC had a 2 percent share of the smartphone market in the country for the year 2011, and a 1 percent share in this year’s first quarter, she said in an email. Korean vendors, including Samsung, LG and Pantech, dominate with about a 90 percent of the market.

LG flaunts Optimus UI 3.0, an ‘unobtrusive and simple’ overlay for ICS devices (Photos)

Élyse Betters May 16 2012 - 6:35 am PT

[slideshow]

LG announced this morning that it developed a new LG Optimus 3.0 overlay.

The press release claimed Optimus UI 3.0 is “unobtrusive and simple” to use, and its primary design function has speed in mind. For example, a new memo function called “Quick Memo” allows users to jot notes on the screen in a “more convenient” method, and then users can share the scribblings through text messages, email, or social networks.

“With smartphone hardware becoming more and more similar, it’s important for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the competition through the user interface,” said President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company Dr. Jong-seok Park in the presser.

Other features include: an unlock function that allows users to drag anywhere on the screen; a preset Pattern Lock that enables the most frequently used function to automatically open; an easier method for organizing the primary applications, a new Voice Shutter for capturing images through voice commands; a camera feature for shooting the best picture within multiple images; an Icon Customizer that allows users to set their own images as icons and shortcut; and a Download category for the main menu.

The Optimus UI 3.0 is initially slated for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, because it debut on the LG Optimus LTE II that unveiling this week in Korea, and then it will roll out to the LG Optimus 4X HD in June.

LG’s full press release is below.

LG abandons Windows Phones for Android, blames poor sales (Update)

Élyse Betters Apr 30 2012 - 8:27 am PT

UPDATE: An LG spokesperson reached out to PCMag and denied allegations that the company is abandoning the Windows Phone platform:

“No, we are not giving up on Windows Phone. Although we don’t have another Windows device in the pipeline at this moment, that is simply because demand for Android devices is so strong. […] We’ve maintained since the beginning that LG will support whatever operating system consumers want but at the moment, our priority is to get our Android devices to a level where we feel we’ve covered all the bases, to use an American analogy.”

During last week’s Q1 2012 earnings call, LG hinted it is abandoning Windows Phone hardware production to focus on Android, and now a Korean newspaper attributes the move to underwhelming sales and claimed Microsoft’s chief is immediately meeting with the manufacturer in coming weeks.

Microsoft Korea spokesperson Lee Seung-yeon told The Korea Herald that LG is dumping Windows phones due to poor retail performance and said Windows Phones barely stole 2 percent of the global smartphone market share.

The report also suggested Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer will attempt to remedy the split with LG during a May 22 visit to Seoul, Korea by engaging in business meetings with local industry representatives, including LG:

“’Ballmer, who will speak about the ‘new era of technology,’ will be staying for a day in Seoul,’ said a Microsoft Korea spokesperson Lee Seung-yeon. ‘We, however, don’t have the fixed details of his business meeting schedule as of now.’

An LG spokesman also said it is yet unaware of the meeting.

“Ballmer’s visit takes place shortly after LG Electronics’ executive said during an earnings conference session last week that the company is planning to focus on smartphones running on Google’s Android mobile operating system.”

LG makes a slew of Windows-based handsets, such as the Optimus 7.

Samsung wants to impose iPhone 5 ban in Korea ahead of official launch

9to5 Staff Sep 19 2011 - 8:44 am PT

The Korea Times reports that Samsung “is seeking a complete ban” on the iPhone 5 sales in Korea – even before the handset is even released, let alone officially announced. Local carriers KT and SK Telecom have so far sold about 3.1 million iPhones in the country. The paper quotes an unnamed Samsung senior executive:

Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here, Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung’s wireless technology related patents. For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights.

Another Samsung executive is “quite confident” about “a big breakthrough” provided Samsung wins in Germany, adding that “so will other envisioned efforts against such products as the iPhone 5”. The report goes on to mention that iPhone sports an LG Display-made screen, LG Innotek’s eight-megapixel camera, Samsung-made NAND flash and A5 chip and an NFC chip for wireless payment.

The twist in this case, of course, is the fact that Apple is Samsung’s biggest customer, buying displays, NAND flash memory and custom-built A4 and A5 chips for its products. It has been reported that Samsung may soon lose its contract as Apple turns to rival TSMC.

The manufacturing relationship means Samsung gets information about the innards of Apple’s non-released devices months before the actual manufacturing ramp up. This early access to Apple’s designs could have led Samsung to move with the iPhone 5 ban in Korea ahead of Apple’s official launch. On the other hand, Apple did not accuse Samsung yet of abusing its manufacturing contract to rip off Apple’s upcoming devices with its own products.