Ryan McLeod / Android Authority
TL;DR
- In recent days, Qualcomm approached Intel about a possible acquisition, according to anonymous reports.
- At first, Qualcomm seemed only interested in Intel’s PC design divisions, but now it seems it’s looking for a full-on purchase.
- There hasn’t been a formal offer of any kind and the potential deal is still in development.
For years now, silicon giants Qualcomm and Intel have been rivals but mostly operating in very different sectors: the former in the mobile world and the latter in the desktop/laptop world. This year, though, Intel has faced some incredible obstacles (many of which of its own making). This has resulted in tumbling stock, tens of thousands of employees laid off, and bad blood between the company and even its most die-hard fans. It is, without a doubt, the worst era in Intel’s 50-year history. Meanwhile, Qualcomm has been thriving.
Apparently, Qualcomm smelled an opportunity among Intel’s chaos and recently approached the company about a possible acquisition, according to The Wall Street Journal. This rumor comes from anonymous people familiar with the matter. So far, the possible sale of Intel to Qualcomm is in the very early stages, with no formal offer made yet for Intel, valued at around $90 billion at the moment.
Should a bid happen, it would likely be the biggest deal in the history of the tech world, overshadowing even the attempt by Broadcom to buy Qualcomm, which then-President Donald Trump blocked in 2018.
Allegedly, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon is personally involved with the deal’s development. Earlier this month, per Reuters, Amon was originally only interested in Qualcomm’s design business. However, now that has allegedly shifted to buying the entire company.
Obviously, such a massive deal would inevitably face heavy scrutiny from the United States government, as it would be an anti-trust landmine. Allegedly, Qualcomm would be open to selling off parts of Intel to other companies to avoid litigation and get the deal approved.
If this deal did happen, it would dramatically alter the world of consumer tech. The age-old rivalry between Intel and AMD in the desktop and laptop spaces would be gone, and Qualcomm’s chip business would expand to new frontiers almost overnight. However, Qualcomm would also face new scrutiny from governments and legal entities and likely be forced to divest much of its business.
