A Samsung executive speaking to the Korea Times (via SlashGear) has revealed that Apple is set to purchase up to $11 billion worth of parts from the company this year, up from $7.8 billion last year, with growth being driven mainly by the iPad and MacBook Air.
Interesting, the executive (who of course chose to remain nameless) specifically mentioned that Apple is planning to release a smaller version of the iPad by the end of the year:
“The contract is expected to rise to $11 billion by the end of this year as Apple is planning to release a smaller iPad, probably with a 7.85-inch screen, and to sell more of its MacBook Air PCs using Samsung’s faster solid state drive (SSD) storage,’’ the official said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly made an agreement with Samsung COO Lee Jay-yong to use Samsung’s components in Apple products until the end of 2014. While this is anything but an official confirmation that Apple will release a smaller version of the iPad, rumors have been flying nearly non-stop about the idea for quite some time, despite the fact that Steve Jobs seemed dead set against the idea.