(Reuters) -Apple said on Wednesday that Samsung Electronics will supply chips from its production plant in Austin, Texas, for Apple products including iPhones.
"This facility will supply chips that optimize power and performance of Apple products, including iPhone devices," Apple said in a statement.
A Samsung spokesperson declined comment.
The statement was made as part of Apple's announcement it would spend an additional $100 billion in U.S. investments, bringing its total investment commitment to the country to $600 billion over the next four years.
"What's significant is that Samsung is taking over some of the image sensor volumes that Apple previously sourced from Sony," said Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities.
"Since Sony only makes image sensors in Japan, Apple appears to be diversifying its suppliers and localising production in the United States."
Ryu said that while Sony still dominates the high-end image sensor market, Apple's move reduces its reliance on a single vendor and supports its push for more U.S.-based sourcing.
Tesla recently signed a $16.5 billion deal to source chips from Samsung, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk saying in late July that Samsung's new chip factory in Texas would make Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip.
Samsung's chip contract manufacturing business is expected to reduce losses by securing new orders in 2026 to make image sensor chips for iPhone 18s and chips for Tesla, Pak Yuak, analyst at Kiwoom Securities, wrote in a note late last month.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Chris Reese, Nia Williams and Ed Davies)
