US smartphone manufacturer Apple has engaged the services of a former Samsung executive by name, Soonho Ann to serve as its new Global Head of Battery Developments. The new position further fuel speculations of plans to develop and ultimately produce first-party battery parts.
The former Samsung chief commenced work at Apple in December last year according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also reputed to have had a four-year stint Samsung’s battery arm, Samsung SDI. During his time at Samsung, Mr Ahn held three senior vice president roles. Along the line, he worked on next-generation battery cell materials and technology bound for a range of consumer devices including smartphones, power tools and electric vehicles. Before his stint at Samsung, Ahn worked at LG Chem for 17 years as a vice president in charge of battery development, after which he served a brief stint as a professor of energy and chemical engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology.
Read Also: Apple iPhone and Samsung phone sales expected to slump further this year
Samsung happens to be one of Apple’s major parts supplier despite their rivalry. The Korean company is listed as a top-200 supplier on Apple’s Supplier List as of February 2018. However, Apple has been trying to diversify over the past few years and that has brought multiple Chinese battery makers into the fold. This new hire suggests Apple is looking to reduce its dependence on third-party suppliers and may start developing its own batteries soon. Already, there are rumours that the Cupertino-based company is working on an in-house battery solution, Last year, Apple was reported to be in talks to secure cobalt, a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries, directly from miners. One major area where Apple has found success in developing its parts is the A-series processors that fuel the iPhone, iPad and HomePod.
(source)
