Batteries – Tech Narratives

Apple is apparently working on its own power-chip technology, and has hired 80 people in this area, according to a financial analyst firm’s report. Even that report says that Apple won’t be ready to make its own before 2019, and yet its current primary supplier Dialog has seen its stock drop significantly today as a result of this story. On top of last week’s Imagination Technologies news (and arguably the ongoing Qualcomm lawsuit too) it’s easy to draw the conclusion that being a supplier to Apple is tough. I’m sure that wouldn’t be news to any of Apple’s existing suppliers, who have always been pushed hard and squeezed for margins, but I’m also sure no company would turn down the opportunity to be part of Apple’s supply chain over these worries. However, these recent events certainly suggest that customer diversity is warranted for those serving Apple, because it has a stated intention of controlling the key elements of its technology stack, and that trend only goes one way over time.

via Bloomberg

Apple
iPhone

Batteries

Samsung to Use Sony Batteries in Galaxy S8 Phone – WSJ (Feb 17, 2017)

The fallout from the Note7 recall continues: Samsung is apparently adding another battery supplier to its roster, though Sony’s capacity is so small that it will likely be by far the smallest by volume. None of this guarantees anything – the Note7 had problems because both battery suppliers produced faulty batteries and because Samsung’s design put pressure on those batteries. Given that those same two suppliers will be making most of the batteries used for the S8, and Samsung of course will still be designing it, what those three companies do differently is far more important than adding another minority battery supplier. As such, I suspect this is probably better read as an attempt by Samsung to exert some pressure on its existing suppliers by demonstrating a willingness to look elsewhere than any sort of strategy to ensure safer batteries in the S8. In that way, this is analogous to Apple’s recent move to give Intel some of its iPhone modem business. But all this also highlights the difficulties in shifting suppliers at such scale – neither Apple nor Samsung can suddenly switch suppliers at this volume, and even if they could the new vendors often underperform relative to the incumbents (as here with Sony’s batteries and also with Intel’s modems).

via WSJ

Samsung

Samsung Bungled the Note7 Recall

MacBook Pro Ratings Changed – Consumer Reports (Jan 10, 2017)

I changed the headline on this piece, which is a bit of amazing spin. Following serious pushback from Apple on its MacBook Pro battery tests, Consumer Reports provided more information to Apple on its testing process, and it emerged that it had turned off the cache (which consumers never would) and this in turn triggered an obscure bug which drained battery life. Had CR simply given Apple the opportunity to provide feedback on the testing process, this whole thing could have ended a lot earlier and without the unjust criticism. To the extent that anyone saw this story as evidence of slipping standards at Apple, that should now be laid to rest. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen excellent battery life on the MBP the last two weeks while traveling, especially with the screen dimmed somewhat. (See also Apple’s full statement.)

via MacBook Pro Ratings Changed – Consumer Reports

Apple
Mac

Apple is Doomed