Apples upstream partners are the manufactures Foxconn Technology Group, which also manufactures Apple's iPod, iPhone and Mac Min. It is headquartered in Tucheng, Taiwan but it manufactures the Apple products in its largest plan in Shenzhen, China. However Apple does not disclose the makers of its components, research shows that various parts and suppliers include: * Apple A4 SoC: Samsung.[13][98] * NAND flash RAM chips: Toshiba; except Samsung for the 64 GB model.[99][100] * Touch-screen chips: Broadcom.[99] * IPS Display: LG Display * Touch panels: Wintek. (Got the job after TPK Touch Solutions was unable to fulfill its orders, delaying the iPad's release from late March to early April.[101]) * Case: Catcher Technologies.[102] * LCD drivers: Novatek Microelectronics.[103] * Batteries: 60% are made in Taiwan by Simplo Technology, 40% by Dynapack International.[67][104] * Accelerometer: STMicroelectronics.[105]
However Apple has many more downstream partners, even though it has its own personal retailers with select Apple stores in various locations. Apple also takes advantage of the many outside retailers to make sure its product is received by their consumers at convenience. A few of their biggest retailers are the big technology suppliers like Best Buy, Wal- Mart, Target, Radio Shack, and Sam’s. By doing this Apple is able to reach an array of customers while also providing them the option to visit a specialty Apple store to get the full effect and experience that the Apple Stores offer. Apple’s channels of distribution are indirect marketing channels, containing one or more intermediaries. Apple designs, manufactures, and markets smart personal devices addressing the consumer electronics space through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. Apple now allows its largest distributors to provide all six models of the iPad