Apple could acquire PowerVR maker to bring GPU design in-house

By

A9xchip
Apple hopes to take GPU design into its own hands
Photo: Chipworks

Apple is reportedly in “advanced talks” to acquire Imagination Technologies, the British chip design company which creates the PowerVR graphics chips Apple uses for its iOS devices.

If it is able to acquire the company, it would mean that Apple would be able to bring GPU design in-house, much as it has done with its internally-developed ARM-based CPU cores.

This isn’t the first time Apple has invested in GPUs. The company has owned a significant number of Imagination shares dating back at least as far as 2008, the early days of the iPhone. Starting out at 3.6 percent ownership, Apple increased this to 9.5 percent ownership in 2009.

This is a good time for Apple to look into snapping up the company, which has been running into problems this year. Last month, Imagination announced that CEO Hossein Yassaie would be stepping down from his post, while this month it revealed that 350 jobs are to be axed from the company in a cost-cutting exercise.

It seems that many of the problems relate to failed attempts to move into new business areas like CPU development and the Internet of Things, rather than problems with the PowerVR graphics chips. With that said, Apple may be able to broker a bargain if it moves now.

Which it seems to be very much aware of.

Source: Ars Technica

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.