The iPhone maker has almost halved its order of liquid-crystal display panels from key suppliers, according to the Japanese newspaper the Nikkei.
Apple has dominated the smartphone market with iPhone since its launch in 2007, but Samsung has caught up in recent years, following the launch of the Galaxy S series in May 2010. Last year, the latest model, the Galaxy S III, helped the South Korean firm to leapfrog its US rival to become the world’s top-selling smartphone manufacturer.
Both companies are benefiting from the mobile boom as consumers prefer smartphones and tablets to the traditional desktop or personal computer. Research firm Gartner reported today that global sales of PCs slumped 5% in the last three months, to 90.3 million. Gartner said the launch of “compelling low-cost tablets” — such as the Google Nexus and Amazon Kindle Fire — was helping to drive the shift from PC to tablet.