Hynix Semiconductor and Micron Technology reportedly are looking to strengthen their ties with Taiwan-based Phison Electronics, Silicon Motion Technology and Skymedi amid concerns that existing flash-controller partner Anobit will be serving Apple exclusively as a result of an acquisition.
Apple has quietly bought Anobit, a developer of NAND flash memory controllers, for up to US$500 million, Israeli news site Calcalist claimed in its recent report.
The acquisition would allow Apple to fully utilize Anobit's proprietary debugging technique to enhance and improve the flash endurance and performance of its products, according to industry sources. More importantly, Apple will not have to depend on only a few chip suppliers as with Anobit's solutions, it does not have to worry about conflicts while having various flash chips from different producers, the sources said.
On the other hand, Apple's Anobit takeover will inevitably impact Anobit's existing chip clients including Hynix and Micron, the sources indicated. And for Apple's existing chip suppliers that use Anobit's controller technology, they might lose bargaining power in negotiations with Apple, the sources pointed out.
Hynix reportedly is among the main chip suppliers for Apple's products, and uses Anobit's solutions in the flash devices shipped to the CE vendor.
Hynix has recently moved to strengthen its partnerships with Taiwan-based flash-controller firms, amid worries that its tie with Anobit might come to an end following Apple's Anobit acquisition, the sources said.
Micron, another existing partner of Anobit, is also looking to expand its cooperation with Taiwan's controller IC suppliers, the sources indicated. Micron has been actively developing its SSD and eMMC product portfolios.