Intel today confirmed long-standing rumors by announcing that it will acquire the Wireless Solutions (WLS) unit of German firm Infineon for $1.4 billion. The move gives Intel a significant expansion into the market for smartphone chips as it continues to try to build interest in its own Atom platform for mobile and netbook devices.
Through this effort, Intel will pair WLS’ best-in-class cellular technology with its core strengths to enable the delivery of low-power, Intel-based platforms that combine its applications processor with an expanded portfolio of wireless options — bringing together Intel’s leadership in Wi-Fi and WiMAX with WLS’ leadership in 2G and 3G, and a combined path to accelerate 4G LTE.
The acquisition is notable for Apple, as the company has long eschewed Intel’s offerings for its mobile devices in favor of ARM-based technology. Infineon’s wireless unit has, however, supplied the baseband controller for supporting cellular connectivity in every generation of the iPhone.
While Intel and Apple have been key partners on the Mac platform since Apple began moving away from the PowerPC platform with the release of the Mac Pro in 2006, the two companies have not seen fit to work together on the mobile side of things. Intel has in the past been critical of the iPhone’s use of ARM-based processor technology, claiming that any device seeking to access the “full Internet” needs to be based on Intel’s technology.
Powered By iWebRSS.com
Steve Ballmer demoing Windows-based HP slate at CES in January 2010
CNET reports on comments from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today at the company’s conference for financial analysts revealing that Apple’s longtime rival is continuing to push full steam ahead on Windows-powered tablets, acknowledging Apple’s early success with the iPad.
“They’ll be shipping as soon as they are ready,” Ballmer said, offering few details on the products, which he said will come from partners, not Microsoft itself. “It is job one urgency. No one is sleeping at the switch.”
Speaking to financial analysts, Ballmer said the goal is “not just to deliver products, but to deliver products that people want to buy.”
As for Apple and the iPad, Ballmer said, “they’ve sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold.”
Ballmer reports that the tablet hardware is set to be based on Intel processors rather than ARM chips, while running a flavor of the company’s Windows 7 operating system rather than Windows Phone 7. The first devices are reportedly set to appear later this year.
At CES in January of this year, Ballmer briefly demoed a slate-style device from HP running Windows, but that device was put on hold with HP’s acquisition of Palm. While HP is still sorting out its tablet strategy, it is beginning to appear that it may pursue Windows-based systems for enterprise and tablets running a modified Palm webOS for consumers.
Powered By iWebRSS.com