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Apple Looking to Hire Samsung Battery Experts and Other High-Tech Employees

Monday February 23, 2015 5:31 am PST by Joe Rossignol
samsung_logoApple is hiring away Samsung employees working on next-generation technology, including signal- and visual-processing management, according to The Korea Times.

The report, citing unnamed officials at the South Korean tech giant, also claims that Apple has expanded its recruitment efforts to focus on Samsung personnel with expertise in battery technology amid rumors that it is working on an electric vehicle project.
"Some of our personnel have been hired by Apple. They now work at Apple's headquarters in San Jose, Calif.," said one official, adding that Apple offers highly-competitive benefits and large annual paychecks.

"Those former Samsung workers are given greater independence to proceed with their tasks. Apple prefers to use Samsung's chip experts because they are very diligent, mission-oriented and are prepared to acquire new knowledge," said another official.
Apple has reportedly assembled an automotive team with hundreds of employees working at a "top-secret research lab" near its Cupertino, California headquarters. Apple appears to be recruiting battery experts from multiple companies to join the team, as the company also faces a lawsuit for poaching key battery engineers from A123 Systems. That lawsuit also listed Samsung as one of the companies that Apple has been poaching battery engineers from.
Apple's appetite for hiring former Samsung personnel has expanded to the battery arena as the Cupertino-based company is reportedly developing electric vehicles, which means Apple needs battery experts. […]

"As the electric vehicle business is a new one, Apple needs patents and experts in battery technology. Top human resources firms have been approaching Samsung's battery experts, individually, and I think such human exchange moves are a win-win for both," said the official.
Earlier this month, multiple reports from credible sources claimed that Apple is working on an electric and possibly autonomous vehicle that could enter production in 2020. Some other reports, however, downplay the rumors by claiming that Apple is working on expanding its dashboard presence through CarPlay. Any electric car project at Apple is likely in the early stages of research and development at this time.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: Samsung
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PowerBook-G5
48 months ago
Apple is probably trying to poach from Samsung's two-week-old sCar department, brought together only by rumors of Apple making a car :P
Rating: 19 Votes
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Rogifan
48 months ago

Tim Cook has just gone big.

Where are all those who criticised him 1-2 years ago?


It is interesting how just a few years ago people were questioning whether Apple needed to replace Tim Cook, there were rumors that the board was pressuring him to innovate faster etc. Heck just last month Engadet ran an article wondering when Apple became the boring one. Now with rumors of Apple doing R&D in the automobile space these same concern trolls are fearful that Apple is losing its focus, no longer believes in 'a thousand noes for every yes' etc. So basically no matter what Apple does it can't win. It's either too boring of losing focus.
Rating: 9 Votes
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Abazigal
48 months ago
And why not? Strengthen your own ranks while diminishing those of your strongest rivals. :p
Rating: 7 Votes
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Chupa Chupa
48 months ago

Tim Cook has just gone big.

Where are all those who criticised him 1-2 years ago?


Still here. Big Concepts do not equate to Big Realization. I still have big $ bets on Apple and Cook but he has yet to fully prove himself as the successor of Jobs as an idea guy. We will get a better glimpse of that as the Apple Watch rolls out, and of course between 2015 and 2020 Apple needs to have other all-new products. It can't just depend on the iPhone. 2020 is a long time away in corporate fiscal years.
Rating: 6 Votes
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Porco
48 months ago
Unlike Apple, Samsung have removable battery experts? ;)
Rating: 6 Votes
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69Mustang
48 months ago
I don't get the Tim Cook hate. The man picked by the venerated Steve Jobs has only increased the company's profit every single year since becoming CEO. Increased the company's sphere of influence in many areas of society. Increased the company's social and philanthropic endeavors. Increased the company's green initiatives and attention to humane labor practices and influenced other companies to follow suit. Holy crap that's a lot of sentence fragments. :) He's done other things as well, but I think my point is clear. When judging a business, and not "my favorite company", it's hard to argue with the success of Cook's tenure at the helm.

He doesn't engender the cult of personality of Jobs, but so what? Jobs achieved success one way and Cook another. As a CEO, based on any quantitative data, I really can't think of any who've done a better job. Qualitatively, he hasn't done bad either. Neither Apple, Tim Cook, nor Steve Jobs is/was perfect; revisionist history notwithstanding. Comparatively speaking, CEO to CEO, I would put Cook's record against pretty much anyone else's.

To tie this back to the OP (apologies for the off topic rant), he is again demonstrating sound logic. Get the best battery people you can get to work on your EV. If rumor of the car is true, Cook is acquiring top level talent to try to make the project a more successful endeavor. He could have gone with the super secret double pinky swear in-house only route and more than likely failed. There's no guarantee the rumored project will be a success, but I doubt it will be because a lack of prep and planning.

TLDR; How many better CEO's are actually out there? What do people think a CEO's purpose is?

Sorry for length.
Rating: 5 Votes
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ArtOfWarfare
48 months ago

It is interesting how just a few years ago people were questioning whether Apple needed to replace Tim Cook, there were rumors that the board was pressuring him to innovate faster etc. Heck just last month Engadet ran an article wondering when Apple became the boring one. Now with rumors of Apple doing R&D in the automobile space these same concern trolls are fearful that Apple is losing its focus, no longer believes in 'a thousand noes for every yes' etc. So basically no matter what Apple does it can't win. It's either too boring of losing focus.


If Apple were moving more aggressively into TV or VR that wouldn't be boring or losing focus. Apple is a consumer electronics company... EVs are not consumer electronics. Swapping out a gas engine for a battery doesn't magically move automotives from one market into another.
Rating: 4 Votes
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LordVic
48 months ago

Image (http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-09-09/0909_tim_cook_healthcare_970-630x420.jpg)[COLOR="#808080"]


I think its why people are so polarized with him though.

He ACTS the rock star. But lacks the charisma that Jobs had. So when he does it, it comes accross as fake, or contrived. When Cook speaks, you can easily detect the "Apple Reality Distortion Field". When Job's spoke, you tended to miss it and believe what he was selling easier.

But, when regards to financials. Growth, and actual delivery, he's doing everything right, right now. at least from a Corporate / Finance standpoint.
Rating: 3 Votes
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69Mustang
48 months ago

I think its why people are so polarized with him though.

He ACTS the rock star. But lacks the charisma that Jobs had...

But, when regards to financials. Growth, and actual delivery, he's doing everything right, right now. at least from a Corporate / Finance standpoint.


100% agree. He tries to act the rock star but it ain't in him. Doesn't need to be in my opinion. Just keep doing what you said: driving growth and actual delivery. That's what CEO's do.
Rating: 3 Votes
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LordVic
48 months ago

Samsung has been involved in many different tech sectors. Their cars are not popular at all though.


Doesn't change the facts that they're still involved in the automotive sector since 1998.


what the bloody fudge does popularity have to do with it?:rolleyes:
Rating: 3 Votes

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