Apple and Samsung May Finally Be Ready To Admit They Need Each Other
June 18, 2014
The best way to describe the relationship between Apple and Samsung is that it's complicated. One one side, they are business partners with Samsung supplying many of the parts found on Apple’s mobile devices. On the other, they are competitors, duking it out at retail centers and in courtrooms around the world.
In the interest of profits, those legal battles might soon be coming to an end, according to The Korea Times, via GforGames.
Citing an “anonymous industry official,” the publication says that both sides have grown tired of their ongoing patent infringement legal battles. Both now hope to find a “common ground and a more practical approach to the entire patent war that’s been going on for ages.”
One of the reasons the war may soon be over is that time has passed. The arguments between the two companies have largely focused on handsets that are no longer manufactured and Samsung’s newer models “are shipped with modified technology on board that avoids infringement on Apple’s patents.”
More importantly, the two sides need each other.
For years, Apple has tried to cut Samsung off as a supplier. Time and time again, however, they have realized that they need the Korean company’s resources and technical expertise -- and will for many years to come.
For example, the report references Apple’s plans for the so-called “iWatch,” noting:
The same industry official has also claimed that the recently announced Samsung AMOLED tablets are “living” proof that Sammy has what it takes to deliver OLED displays on numerous segments, including wearables – a segment Apple is supposedly “greatly interested in.”Personally, I like to see the end of the legal battles between Apple and Samsung. Things are much more interesting when they are fighting it out in the marketplace. More competition means better products, in my humble opinion. See also: WSJ: Samsung In Talks To Buy Nuance Communications, The Company Behind Siri, Samsung Wearable Patents Show Apple’s Rumored ‘iWatch’ Needs To Impress, and Samsung Could Copy Apple Again By Releasing Devices With Sapphire Glass.
