Apple has placed LCD driver IC orders for its 2016 series of iPhones with Synaptics, indicating its in-house developed touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions will not be ready, according to industry sources.
The development of Apple's in-house developed TDDI solutions has fallen behind schedule, as the smartphone vendor has released orders for its 2016 models to Synaptics, said the sources.
After acquiring Renesas SP Drivers (RSP), the sole supplier of LCD driver ICs for iPhones, Synaptics has reportedly been striving to maintain orders from Apple amid speculation that the smartphone vendor could reduce its reliance on the supplier.
Apple is already engaged in the development of TDDI solutions after hiring senior engineers from Renesas, previous reports quoted industry sources as saying. Instead of looking for second-source suppliers, Apple is internally developing TDDI chips for its iPhones, the sources claimed.