Qualcomm has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Intel, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). However, any such deal remains speculative at this point, with no concrete steps towards a transaction.
Qualcomm, known for its dominance in the mobile device market, manufactures chips that are widely used in smartphones and wearables. The company has also made recent advancements by offering ARM-based chips for laptops and desktop computers, diverging from Intel’s x86-based technology.
Intel, once the largest semiconductor company by market value, has seen its position diminish in recent years. It now trails behind competitors like Qualcomm, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, and AMD. As of late, Intel has made workforce reductions and restructured parts of the company, including spinning off its foundry business.
Intel’s market value currently stands at around US$90 billion (~RM378 billion), while Qualcomm’s is approximately US$185 billion (~RM777 billion). A potential acquisition would expand Qualcomm’s product range, integrating Intel’s personal computer and server chips with its existing mobile-phone chip business.
Both companies are also trying to benefit from the current Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom, with features increasingly integrated into current smartphones and computers. However, they remain overshadowed in the sector by industry leader NVIDIA.
(Source: WSJ)
