Samsung clinches $240 million order for iPad displays


Samsung has scored a contract for a large order of Apple iPad displays, according to an unnamed industry source. The deal, reportedly worth $240 million, calls for Samsung to produce some three million LCD panels for Apple's new tablet, a "high-ranking industry representative" told The Korea Times.

The source also said that the most expensive component in the iPad is its 9.7-inch display and touchscreen interface, which costs $80 on all models. It was noted that the iPad screen is two times larger than the iPhone 3GS', but five times more expensive. The source wouldn't elaborate further, but iSuppli released an estimated bill of materials if you're interested.

Samsung may have clinched orders for future Apple hardware as well. The companies are "in deep talks" over Cupertino's upcoming 4G iPhones and iPads. "As far as I know, Apple will use [our] LCD panels for its next iPhone models, said an anonymous Samsung executive. It's worth mentioning that Samsung is developing its own tablet, and recently criticized the iPad.

In somewhat related news, CBS is working on HTML5 TV shows for the iPad.

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