Earlier last week, rumours surfaced that NVIDIA was supposedly considering the possibility of welcoming the semiconductor firm, ARM, into its fold. However, recent reports suggest that that is no longer the case.
According to Bloomberg, the GPU brand is reported in “advanced talks” to permanently and officially acquiring ARM from the semiconductor firm’s principal owner, Japan’s Softbank Group. As to how much NVIDIA intends to pay, sources familiar with the subject have hinted that the offer could be to the tune of US$32 billion (~RM135 billion). Both parties are expected to arrive at some sort of agreement over the next few weeks.
NVIDIA’s decision to procure and bring ARM under its wings will both undoubtedly and very obviously draw ire and varying levels of scrutiny from others in the technology industry; beside NVIDIA, the brand is also a primary, if not the major supplier of chips to tech giants. Including Apple, Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel, to name a few. All of whom use the ARM’s chips in their own products.
On that note – and this is merely speculation on several fronts at this stage – NVIDIA’s sudden desire to buy ARM may be a signal that the company is ready and prepping a return into the mobile and smart device market; a market it hasn’t been active in for many years. Additionally, any renewed interest in the area could also be due to AMD’s recent activity as well.
