Apple Partners with South Korean Firm for Apple Car Autopilot Technologies

We know Apple is going to announce who will be manufacturing their upcoming EV later on in 2022 – this means the company needs to continue to build its production lineup for the upcoming vehicle, as well as bring in more partners for the vehicle’s components. Now, it is said that Apple has hired South Korean company OSAT to assist with chip modules and packages related to self-driving technology.

According to The Elec, OSAT has been tapped to help Apple get chip modules ready for the autonomous component of the Apple Car. The work began in 2021 according to the report; it is said to be completed by 2023. 

The Elec says the company, Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), is often used by firms who need expertise on the assembly of semiconductors and associated tech. Apple went a similar route when it was developing the M1 chip ahead of the launch of Apple Silicon in 2020. OSAT is being used this time to help develop the self-driving component for the Apple Car.

The Elec says “The South Korean OSAT firm was working on the module for a chip that operates the autopilot function, much like those used by Tesla, sources said. Such chips, which oversee AI computations, usually integrate a neural processing unit, CPU, GPU, memory as well as camera interface among other functions.”

The Apple Car project continues to move along well and is expected to be completed by the 2024 deadline that Kevin Lynch, the current head of the project, has promised. The project has recently seen many changes in leadership with many executives of the project leaving for jobs at new startups or for jobs at major companies like Meta (Facebook).

Apple is focusing on autonomy which was the purpose of earlier prototypes that were designed by Jonathan Ive shows that Apple still wants to avoid placing a steering wheel in the car. 

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[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]