Apple has been using Intel’s desktop processors in the Mac since 2005. The next-gen Haswell processor is expected to come in the next iteration of the iMac.
For years, a reoccurring rumor has been that Intel will eventually provide mobile processors for iOS devices. But Apple has been designing its own ‘A series’ of chips for the iPhone and iPad based on ARM. Would Apple really abandon what it’s doing on ARM for Intel, a chip maker that’s been really struggling on mobile?
Now another report claims that Apple and Intel have recently discussed a mobile partnership.
In an analysis of the future of Intel’s business, Reuters claims that Intel has looked at manufacturing chips for Apple’s mobile devices like it does for Macs. “A source close to one of the companies says Intel and Apple executives have discussed the issue in the past year but no agreement has been reached,” according to the report.
Intel was at the top of its game in the early 2000s, but then something happened: the iPhone. Apple went with the ARM architecture and started designing its own chips in-house. The iOS platform took off, and Intel has struggled to stay relevant in the mobile industry since. As the last CES showed us, Intel is trying to copy Apple’s success with the iPhone and iPad.
If anything, Apple’s recent behavior indicates that the company is trying to move as far away from Intel as possible. Bob Mansfield was recently put in charge of a top-secret team at Apple that’s focused on advancements in semiconductors and processors. It almost makes more sense for Apple to ditch Intel on the Mac for ARM before we start seeing iPhones powered by Intel.
Source: Reuters
