Rumor: Apple Considering Acquisition of ARM

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Rumors are currently circulating that Apple may be looking to acquire UK based ARM Holdings, the company that provides chip designs for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and a number of other mobile devices. While ARM doesn't actually make chips, it does license its technology out to other companies, companies that make chips for HTC, Samsung, Sony, Nokia, Nintendo, and many others. If acquired by Apple, this could prevent future ARM designs from making their way into devices that compete with Apple including Android and Palm headsets and even the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.

“A deal would make a lot of sense for Apple,” said one [FTSE] trader. “That way, they could stop ARM's technology from ending up in everyone else's computers and gadgets.”

The deal is expected to be around $8 billion (USD), which is chump change for Apple which just announced it had $41.7 billion in cash reserves. ARM's shares shot up by more than three percent based on news of the rumor and Apples Q2 financial report earlier this week. [via The London Evening Standard]

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CAINuKe on April 22, 2010 08:26AM Thats a dirty and sly way to end the android. :( reply to this

slick2500 on April 22, 2010 09:18AM I don't see this as being good news, look at all the other products that use that technology, I can almost guarantee you that everyone else will fight Apple tooth and nail on that deal. reply to this

CowKing on April 22, 2010 11:42AM this is definitely a move by Apple to try and monopolize the market reply to this

The Smith on April 22, 2010 12:13PM +1. I hope it won't happen. reply to this

sYstEmATiC on April 22, 2010 03:35PM Every time I read something like this about apple, it makes me despise them as a company more and more. My Ipod touch 32gb just had an issue and is forcing me to update to the 3.1.3 thats not jailbreakable. After these two annoyances, I think I'm going to sell this ipod and say to hell with apple and anything they have their hands in. reply to this

CAINuKe on April 22, 2010 05:22PM Give this man a beer! +1 reply to this

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