“At microprocessor giant Intel’s developer forum earlier this month, the company disclosed that it will build a future mobile processor for LG Electronics on the former’s upcoming 10-nanometer chip manufacturing technology,” Ashraf Eassa writes for The Motley Fool. “Although the financial impact of this deal to Intel is unlikely to be significant for a number of reasons (more on that in a coming column), this has rekindled the following, seemingly age-old question: ‘Does this mean that Intel will build future A-series processors for Apple?'”
“The A10 chip inside the upcoming iPhone 7 and 7 Plus series of smartphones is expected to be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor,” Eassa writes. “The A10 is expected to be manufactured in TSMC’s 10-nanometer manufacturing technology, which should be in mass production a couple of quarters before Intel’s own 10-nanometer technology is in production.”
“Intel’s next real shot at building the processor for the iPhone, then, would be for the A12 chip that will go inside the 2018 iPhone,” Eassa writes. “Intel doesn’t have a proven track record of being able to ramp up tens of millions of a third party’s chip design on a bleeding-edge chip manufacturing technology. TSMC does. Over the long term, Apple may very well choose to go through the work to second-source a design at Intel. However, I wouldn’t expect Apple to risk it with the A12. I could see Apple giving Intel a shot for the A13 for the 2019 iPhone.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, Intel has much to prove first.