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In an interview on the Fox Business Network earlier this week, Intel CEO Paul Otellini claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs is "very happy" with Intel's deal to acquire Infineon's wireless chip unit. Infineon has provided components, including baseband controllers for cellular connectivity, for every generation of the iPhone.
Steve was very happy. The industry was abuzz that this unit was on the market and there were a number of competing companies for it. I think they're very happy that Intel won the bid.
When asked whether gaining foothold in the iPhone was a "driving factor" in Intel's pursuit of the Infineon unit, Otellini noted that it wasn't the "overwhelming" factor and instead cited Infineon's strong revenue stream and the potential for bringing 3G, LTE, and GPS technology directly to their chipsets.

Otellini famously appeared on-stage during Jobs' Macworld San Francisco 2006 keynote wearing a "bunny suit" (used by chip manufacturing workers in cleanroom environments) to deliver a silicon wafer to Jobs, signifying Apple's transition to Intel processors for its Macs. Apple has not, however, embraced Intel's solutions for its growing line of iOS devices, although the two companies will now likely work together via Apple's existing relationship with the Infineon wireless chip unit.

Article Link: Intel CEO: Jobs 'Very Happy' With Intel-Infineon Deal
 
I'm calling it now. In 10 years Jobs will live alone in the woods...his only remaining task will be to give advice to technology executives who are lucky enough to decode the riddle hiding his location. He'll look like this:
 

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Jobs is probably happy to have competition for its ARM processor since it could only drive down what he is paying for it. If the Intel chip proves viable, its still a win situation.
 
Interesting. Maybe Intel can give Apple a better deal than current infineon?


if you look at the inside of the iphone and other smart phones it's a mess in there. Intel or someone else can integrate the different circuitry in there and make it cheaper for apple and others to manufacture their products
 
This will become very interesting times i think. But i think we should also watch at the possible Deal of Apple with AMD.

If Intel starts to integrate a 3G/LTE chip into their products - Apple could integrate those in their macbook(pro/air) as well as in a new iPad/iPhone/iPod generation. But if they would start to do this - the whole possible deal with AMD would be vanished immediatley i think.

But whatever will happen - time will tell :)

-kaze
 
Apple Vender rule #1: NEVER discuss anything about Apple or Steve Jobs, other than what is press release copy.

LOL! No kidding. You'd think this would be part of morning mantra of every CEO deeply involved with Apple (or hoping to be).
 
if you look at the inside of the iphone and other smart phones it's a mess in there.

If I look inside an iPhone it completely blows my mind how that technology is put together. Some people take WAY too much for granted these days. It really wasn't that long a time ago that machines with just the fraction of an iphones processing power were the size of houses, and calling friends 'back home', meant pens, paper, and a couple weeks wait. Now, i'm sure that you undoubtedly could redesign the next line of mobile chips, and phones without breaking sweat, so do it!
 
Jobs is probably happy to have competition for its ARM processor since it could only drive down what he is paying for it. If the Intel chip proves viable, its still a win situation.

Note that Intel only bought the mobile radio division of Infineon - so the competition would be a better, more integrated Atom vs. ARM.

Not sure if that's what you meant, but wanted to clarify since a lot of posts think that Intel bought all of Infineon....
 
I'm not sure what's keeping Apple from switching to Atom. They're closer with Intel than they are to ARM...
Even though the Atom processor is quite energy-efficient, its supporting chipsets aren't. Even if the Atom's supporting chips became just as energy efficient, it would still be less efficient than ARM.

-Aaron-
 
Not an issue.
Apple buys a lot of Intel hardware. Core i3-i7 and others. Millions of units.
To not ask them before scooping up one of their main suppliers would be strange.

Maybe Jobs doesn't like the idea.
AMD for Macs across the board. Not something Intel want to see happen.
 
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