Analyst: Intel in Talks to Build ARM Chips for Apple
RBC Capital analyst Doug Freedman stated that Intel may soon be building ARM processors for Apple.
Intel is reportedly in talks with Apple to take over Samsung's role to manufacture iPad and iPhone processors. Even if Apple is not using Intel's x86 CPUs in its mobile products, it would be an attractive deal for Intel to fill the capacity in its own fabs and take away business from its most significant chip manufacturing rival in the market.
Such a relationship could build on the existing product relationship between Intel and Apple, in which Intel has earned Apple's trust as a reliable processor supplier. While it would be a big step for Intel to support the production of ARM processors, Intel has recently expanded its options as a foundry by agreeing to build chips for Netronome, Tabula and Achronix. The addition of Apple's processors would add more than 100 million processor units per year to Intel's output.
According to Freedman, Apple's demand could reach 415,000 12-inch wafers, each generating revenue of about $5,000. It's unlikely that Intel would turn down a $2 billion per year business opportunity.
Oh well... Btw I like AMD and have an Phenom II X6 which is not that bad
Intel would either give up on this market because they know they can't charge $10000 for the intel iArm due to competition, or will attempt to be anticompetitive to push whoever they can out and then buy ARM.
Samsung, Can your beat Intel fab process. If Intel uses the same 22nm precess they use for their own processors this could mean 1 of two things, more chips per wafer for greater profit or more cores per chip for greater performance.
But not all of them would make it past to QC,. the yield rate of high density chips is actually low,. somewhat related, I could still remember the 2% yield rate of the first FERMI batch.
Now why would AMD want Intel to produce or design their chips. If Intel did produce or design AMD's chips they would either charge AMD a lot for production or purposely design the AMD chips to be slower. It would be kinda funny buying and AMD apu with Intel graphics.
Or, lots of cheaper, moderate performance chips that Apple will sell at "performance" prices, and pocket the cash. I doubt Apple will leverage the 22nm fab to give greater performance to their consumers.
You "doubt" Apple would give performance to the consumers? You realize they spent significant money to build a custom designed A6 (while Samsung still makes their ARM processors using off-the-shelf ARM designs) that offers better performance than their competitors? Or that Apple still has the highest performing GPU of all mobile platforms?
Samsung and AMD at business, such as?