Renesas Electronics is talking with Apple and a few others about buying a stake in a smartphone display chip unit. The Japanese chipmaker is trying to get out of mobile and into the car industry.

Renesas is considering selling its 55 percent stake in Renesas SP Driver which makes semiconductors that control displays. It is one of the bits which goes under the bonnet of the iPhone so it thinks Apple might be interested. Jobs’ Mob has been tightening control over its supply chain to keep up with Samsung and Huawei.

Apple was one of a number of companies Renesas met to discuss selling the stake. The company lost $6.28 billion and has been in the red for eight years. Sharp could also sell its 25 percent stake in the unit if requested to do so by Apple leaving Taiwan's Powerchip as one of the last stakeholders.