Surprise! Apple swaps LG for Samsung display drivers in iPad 2s

9to5 Staff | Jul 20 2011 - 1:35 pm PT

Recently manufactured iPad 2 units have this Wise-View controller, a Samsung technology. Previous iPad 2s had an LG chip. Photo: Chipworks

For all the talk about Apple reducing its reliance on frenemy Samsung and getting its chips and gadget parts elsewhere, iFixIt reports that silicon experts Chipworks have found out that newer versions of iPad 2 incorporate a new display driver from Samsung whereas iPad 2 units manufactured up to March 2011 used display driver labeled as SW0627B, “an LG display driver that dates back to the original iPad”. As for the new chip labeled as SW0627B, used in the original iPad and newer iPad 2s:

Chipworks’ latest batch of iPad 2s, however, seem to be using a new Wise-View chip. Little to no information can be found about the chip at this time, except that it appears to be a technology developed by Samsung. Sadly there’s no information on Samsung Semiconductor’s site regarding this display driver product line.

Despite lack of information, the Wise-View chip can be yours on Taobao for 24 Yaun a piece, or some $3.7. iFixIt speculates that Apple changing display driver suppliers may be “foreshadowing the release of an updated iPad with a higher-res screen”, providing no substantiation to support the theory, though. If you ask us, it’s just Apple at its best, covering all bases and making sure it doesn’t rely too heavily on a sole supplier.