Apple in talks to buy cobalt directly from miners

Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. is in talks to buy long-term supplies of cobalt directly from miners for the first time, according to people familiar with the matter, seeking to ensure it will have enough of the key battery ingredient amid industry fears of a shortage driven by the electric vehicle boom.

And:

About a quarter of global cobalt production is used in smartphones.

It’s a race to lock up cobalt supply, a race between smart phones and tablets, versus the emerging electric car market.