Locator: 49895QCOM.
From the linked article:
“It comes down to monetization. That’s what the Street wants to see here,” Wedbush Securities managing director and global head of technology research Dan Ives told Yahoo Finance on Friday.
"I think what you're seeing is really a bifurcation in tech. It's kind of the haves and the have nots, and that's really what's playing out across tech earnings," he added.
I see it very differently, but "monetization" is one way of looking at it. In's interesting -- the story angle doesn't fit the photograph accompanying the article which focused on Apple.
This is for the extended family. This is not an investing site. See disclaimer for the blog.
Let this sink in: Google Gemini's reply was based on visiting over a billion websites in less than a second and replying in less than a second. If your broker can do that for you, you have an incredible broker.
AI prompt:
Of the Fortune 500 tech companies which are the most important for Apple: Broadcom, QCOM, Snowflake, Intel, TSM, others?
Google Gemini:
Of the Fortune 500 tech companies, TSMC (TSM), Broadcom (AVGO), and Qualcomm (QCOM) are arguably the most critical for Apple's hardware and infrastructure, as they provide the essential chips for the iPhone and Mac ecosystem.
Based on supply chain analysis, here is the hierarchy of importance for Apple:
1. The Critical Trio (Highest Importance)
- TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co): This is by far Apple's most important manufacturing partner, producing the Apple-designed A-series (iPhone) and M-series (Mac) silicon using advanced 3nm and 2nm nodes. Apple is TSM's largest customer, often absorbing nearly half of its advanced output.
- Broadcom: A key, long-term partner providing crucial wireless components. Reports indicate a multi-year, multi-billion dollar agreement for 5G radio frequency components and wireless connectivity chips.
- Qualcomm (QCOM): While Apple aims to create its own modems, Qualcomm remains essential for providing the 5G baseband processors (modems) and other RF components for iPhone, with a partnership that has been extended to 2026 and beyond.
2. Crucial Assembly Partners
- Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry): While not always in the top 50 in traditional "tech" rankings, this is Apple's largest manufacturing partner, handling the assembly of the vast majority of iPhones.
- Luxshare & Pegatron: Key partners for assembling iPhones, AirPods, and wearables, crucial for diversifying production outside of China.
3. Emerging Strategic Partners
- Intel: Although Apple transitioned away from Intel for Mac processors, a 2025 report indicates a renewed, strategic partnership where Apple may use Intel to manufacture chips for certain devices, signaling a desire to diversify its semiconductor manufacturing and leverage U.S.-based capacity.
- Corning: Provides the specialized "Gorilla Glass" used on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch screens, making them critical for device durability.
4. Other Key Partners
- Jabil & Micron: Important suppliers for specialized, U.S.-sourced, or assembled components and memory technology.
- Snowflake: While an essential data cloud platform for Apple’s enterprise software and analytics, Snowflake is not a hardware supplier critical to iPhone production in the same way as chipmakers.
Verdict: For hardware, TSMC is in a league of its own for importance, followed by Broadcom and Qualcomm for connectivity. Intel is emerging as a critical, strategic partner for future, diversified fabrication.
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Not Ready Of Prime Time
Market analysts follow cash, guidance MOJO, not chips.
How I see it. Not ready for prime time. May be modified over time.
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Disclaimer
Briefly
Briefly:
I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken. I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything. If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Longer version here.
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Movie Night
The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Movies I've seen many times, I always enjoy the credits at the beginning and the opening scenes. I often forget how characters were introduced into the movie.
