Talks between Samsung and Apple on a possible joint investment to produce NAND flash memory chips have been dropped. “We had had some talks with Apple earlier this year but it did not work out due to differences over terms,” a Samsung spokesman told Reuters on Monday, adding they had dropped the joint investment talks “at a very early stage.” Apple is reportedly in talks currently with another company for joint flash chip output.
The Korea Economic Daily reported over the weekend that Apple had pulled out of the joint $3.8 billion investment plan due to “deepening anti-Samsung sentiment among some South Korean politicians and civic groups.” The Korean Fair Trade Commission Chairman recently stated that Samsung could be investigated for reports of the company selling flash memory to Apple at below-market prices. Last week, Samsung was found guilty in the U.S.
of price-fixing.
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