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there's still an ARM core in every smartphone, whether Intel fabs it (they don't), or Samsung, or TSMC. Intel gave up the ARM business. They have the best fabs
by RockyMcNuts 10y ago
there's still an ARM core in every smartphone, whether Intel fabs it (they don't), or Samsung, or TSMC.
Intel gave up the ARM business. They have the best fabs in the world and could dominate the business... but not without cannibalizing the x86 business.
The problem is, Chromebooks running ARM are starting to be competitive with x86 ( http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-its-time-to-take-googles-pc-operating-system-seriously-1465185662 http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-its-time-to-take-googles-pc-... ).
And now that ARM 64 is in widespread use, it can address lots of RAM, and servers could be on the horizon.
ARM devices are going to keep replacing x86 devices, ARM is going to keep moving up into higher-end devices, and the impact on Intel is going to worsen.
At some point Intel might throw in the towel and start supplying ARM chips, but at that point they will just be another (very good) fab, not an x86 monopolist.
- seabrookmx 10y ago> there's still an ARM core in every smartphone, whether Intel fabs it (they don't), or Samsung, or TSMC ALMOST true, but not entirely true. The Asus Zenphone 2 shipped with an Intel Atom SoC and was actually a pretty decent mid-range smartphone.
- petecox 10y agoSure but Intel announced back in April that there won't be future Atom phones. i.e. Asus went with Qualcomm for Zenfone 3.
- runamok 10y agoRight. Because Intel was subsidizing the x86 chip in the Zenfone 2 (and other phones/tablets) by quite a bit.
- williadc 10y agoThere's still an ARM core on that phone, in the modem.