, Columnist
A $2 Billion iPhone Splurge That Didn’t Go So Well
AMS spent big to win a prime position on the iPhone X. With smartphone sales slowing, investors in Apple suppliers might prefer prudence in future.
One tech company spent more than $2 billion priming itself for a big part on the iPhone X. It's seen the error of its ways.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
The travails of Austria’s AMS AG are a cautionary tale for suppliers gambling on next-generation smartphones.
The maker of laser sensors spent more than $2 billion over three years buying companies and expanding production capacity to ensure that its technology dominated the 3-D scanners in the newest smartphones. Apple Inc.’s iPhone X series uses much of AMS’s product line.