Remember that Reuters report floated last month that Intel might start fabricating ARM chips for Apple?
It’s not going to happen, says no lesser authority on the matter than Intel CEO Paul Otellini.
Asked during Intel’s Tuesday earnings call about whether Intel would make processors based on ARM, Otellini flat-out said “No,” adding that Intel would “not enable a chip competitor.”
We called it. As we wrote in a lengthy feature at the time, while there are reasons why Intel might opt to make A-series chips for Apple, making ARM chips for Cupertino would make Intel a lot less money than using those same fabs to make x86 chips they could then sell to gadget makers themselves… and it would also signal to clients that they had given up on x86 in mobile.
The deal also doesn’t make a lot of sense for Apple, because Intel would then have total control over the chips in Apple’s products… and once you go Intel, you can’t switch back, because no one else is up to Intel’s standard in the chip-making arena.
In other words, it was all nonsense. But Otellini will soon be giving up his seat as CEO. Perhaps his replacement will think differently, though.
Source: CNET
