Apple hiring spree confirms iOS GPU development

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Apple patches things up with mobile GPU maker Imagination
Imagination suspects Apple has been stealing its ideas.
Photo: Apple

An Apple hiring spree in the United Kingdom shows just how serious the company is about building its own graphics technology. Apple recently parted ways with British company Imagination Technologies, which previously provided the graphics processing units for iOS devices.

Advertisements posted by Apple include positions in graphics unit design at the company’s U.K. Design Centre. Jobs listed include engineering program manager, design verification lead, emulation engineer and other roles described as requiring GPU knowledge.

Imagination recently claimed Apple has “been working on a separate, independent graphics design in order to control its products,” and cast doubt doubt on Cupertino’s ability to design a brand new GPU architecture from scratch without infringing upon Imagination’s intellectual property rights.

Last year, Apple revealed that it held preliminary takeover talks with Imagination, but decided not to make an offer on the company. It was later reported that Apple poached Imagination talent to build its own GPU team.

By building its own graphics chips, Apple will not only be able to better control R&D, but could also lower its margins, thereby making more profit. This is easier said than done, however. Other companies including Samsung have long tried to build a mobile GPU, and been unsuccessful doing so.

Can Apple do any better? Tim Cook and Co. are obviously confident they can!

Source: The Telegraph

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