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The battle betten Samsung and Apple just got more interesting.  A chip maker from Samsung left the company to become a chip maker for Apple’s Texas team.  The chips in any device can make difference in speed, battery and overall performance.  Something Apple has done well over the years but maybe looking to take it to the next level.

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The gadget maker has hired Jim Mergard, a 16-year veteran of Advanced Micro Devices AMD +1.59% who was a vice president and chief engineer there before he left for Samsung. He is known for playing a leading role in the development of a high-profile AMD chip that carried the code name Brazos and was designed for low-end portable computers.

Veteran technical talent is in high demand and there are many opportunities for top-flight engineers to move between companies. But any movement between Samsung and Apple comes at an interesting time.

The companies, of course, are bitter rivals in smartphones. They are also locked in litigation, with Apple accusing Samsung of patent infringement and Samsung firing back with claims of its own. At the same time, they are partners; Apple leans on Samsung and its big factory in Austin, Tex., to make the chips Apple has designed for its smartphones and tablets.

[wsj]